Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) are mammals of the marsupial group that live in Australia. They spend most of their time on trees, in places rich in eucalyptus species, their main food. Herbivorous animals eat eucalyptus leaves and sometimes leaves of other plants. It is from the eucalyptus that the koala derives its nutrients and water necessary for its survival.
They weigh between 5 and 13 kg and are between 60 and 85 cm in length. Like all mammals, they have fur, which is thick, short and dense. Hair color varies, with light to dark brown hairs on the back, as well as brown, white or yellow hairs on the belly. The fur of these animals are excellent thermal insulators.
They are usually solitary and have a habit of twilight at night. They spend most of their lives in trees. They also have claw-friendly hands and feet that help them climb, and a pair of functional incisors in the lower jaw.
Koalas are considered vulnerable to extinction (they are only one rank above endangered animals), mainly due to the fires that devastated their habitats. (from the newsroom)
