Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) are Australian
marsupials that belong to the order Diprotodontia and the family
Phascolarctidae. They are the only living member of their classification.
Koalas are a protected species in some areas of Australia
and a political dilemma in others.
Closely resembling the wombat, koalas have pointed ears,
snouts, strong limbs and climbing claws. Koalas, like humans have opposable
thumbs. Their fur insulates them against the effects of their slow digestive
processes and sleeping habits. The two hemispheres of the brain are not
touching in kolas and they have fingerprints.
Koala's have a digestive system specially formulated for the
eating of eucalyptus or gum trees. Eucalyptus is poisonous to most animals.
Living on the coastal areas of Australia,
koalas spend their time in the trees but move thought them quite often looking
for new feeding grounds or sexual partners. Their actual lifespan is not known
and koalas as often killed in traffic accidents and human based issues making
natural lifespan difficult to estimate. In captivity, a koala can live to
around 18 years old.
The koala population had endured a number of hits including
mass hunting in the early 20th century to habitat encroachment and
loss of feeding grounds. Australian environmentalists are dealing with the
issue.