Koala
Phascolarctos cinereus
A tree-dwelling Australian marsupial that eats only eucalyptus leaves and gets most of its water from them.
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About the Koala
Koalas live only in eucalyptus forests of eastern Australia, in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, and come down to the ground only to move to another tree. They are 25 to 32 inches long and weigh 9 to 30 pounds. Eucalyptus leaves are poisonous to most mammals, but a koala's special stomach breaks down the oils, and it eats about 2.5 pounds of leaves a day.[1]
Quick facts
- Scientific name
- Phascolarctos cinereus[1]
- Size
- 25 to 32 inches long.[1]
- Weight
- 9 to 30 pounds. Northern koalas are smaller than southern koalas.[1]
- Lifespan
- 10 to 14 years in the wild. Up to 20 in human care.[1]
- Diet
- Herbivore. Eucalyptus leaves (about 50 kinds), sometimes mistletoe.[1]
- Habitat
- Eucalyptus forests.[1]
- Where it lives
- Eastern Australia: Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.[1]
- Group life
- Mostly solitary.[1]
- Conservation status
- Vulnerable (IUCN Red List, assessed 2014).[2]
Fun facts
Vocabulary
- marsupial
- A mammal whose babies finish growing in the mother's pouch.
- eucalyptus
- A kind of Australian tree with oily, strong-smelling leaves.
- pouch
- A pocket of skin on a marsupial's belly where babies grow.
- solitary
- Living alone rather than in a group.
- vulnerable
- A conservation label meaning a species faces a high risk of dying out in the wild.
See it in person
- San Francisco Zoo & GardensSan Francisco, California · MammalsSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗
Sources
- [1] San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. “Koala.” https://www.sfzoo.org/koala/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
- [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Phascolarctos cinereus (Koala).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/16892/166496779 (accessed 2026-10-02)
Facts last checked 2026-10-02.