Food & Feeding
During the course of its evolution, the koala has developed speical cheek pouches that store food, and a digestive system to handle a diet consisting entirely of eucalyptus leaves. There are more than 100 species of eucalyptus tree that grow in Australia, but the koala feeds on only 12 of them. Koalas eat between 1 and 2 pounds of leaves each day, and can easily exhaust their own food supply. Koalas cannont survive without eucalyptus, so the main difficulty in keeping them alive in zoos and sanctuaries is obtaining enough eucalyptus leaves from the right species with which to feed them.

Did you know?
The koala never drinks because it gets all of the liquid it needs from eucalyptus leaves. "Koala" is the Aborigine word for "no water".
The koala is an excellent swimmer, crossing rivers in order to survive heavy flooding.
Ironically, many koalas are killed in sanctuaries because they are run over by cars belonging to visitors.
A newborn koala is only the size of a lima bean. Its hing legs are barely formed, but its forlimbs and claws are relatively well developed. It drags itself to the pouch by following a trail of saliva laid down by its mother.

Koalas & Man
Until the early 1900s, the koala was widespread in Australia. But increased settlement by man brought about a dramatic decline in its population. Much of its natural habitat was destroyed by fires set to clear the land. Koalas were also widely hunted for their warm, durable fur; more than 2 million skins were exported from Australia in 1924 alone.

Distribution
Coastal regions of Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria, which have the largest populations, and parts of south Australia.

Sizes
Height: 24 inches.
Weight: Males, up to 26 lbs. Females, 17 lbs. Smaller in northern part of range.
Lifestyle
Habit: Solitary tree-dweller.
Lifespan: More than 10 years in the wild. Up to 20 years in captivity.[