How Much Can A Koala Bear? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bears

The early Australian settlers called koalas 'bears' or 'native bears', which they are not. They are, of course, marsupial mammals - the only member of the family Phascolarctidae. The name 'koala', purportedly meaning 'no drink', was derived from a now extinct Aboriginal dialect, 'Dharuk', from New South Wales.

Answer: Forests were more widespread

Fossil history of koalas covers a period of between 15 and 20 million years (with koala-like animals noted as far back as 25 million years). Way back when, forests were once widespread in central and northern Australia.

Answer: Chewing Gum

Koalas are fastidious eaters, choosing the leaves of only a smallish number of the over 600 (known) types of eucalypt (gum) trees found in Australia. Eucalyptus leaves are fibrous and contain little nutritional value and are poisonous to most animals.

But with their very slow metabolic rate and specially adapted digestive system, koalas can detoxify the poisonous chemicals in the leaves and extract the maximum energy value from the approximately 500g to 1 kg they eat per day.

Answer: Resting

According to a study conducted in 1985, koalas average 14.5 hours of each day asleep, a further 4.8 hours resting (but awake) and 4.7 hours eating. They didn't mention the mating bit . . . but koalas are somewhat reclusive.

Answer: Dusk

Koalas tend to feed at various times of the day, but prefer the hours immediately before and after dusk, spending 20 minutes to 2 hours at a time munching away on 'gum' leaves.

Answer: Tasmania and Western Australia

The koala, in the wild, is found along the east coast of mainland Australia, from eastern South Australia to Queensland. An adult male koala can weigh up to 14 kg and a female up to 11 kg, with heavier animals from southern areas (they've adapted to cooler temperatures with increased body weight and thicker fur). Koalas in the north of the country are noticeably smaller.

Answer: Wombat

The koala is similar in appearance to the wombat, but has a thicker coat (which is not very soft), much larger ears and longer limbs. It is thought that the wombat and koala shared a common ancestor, approximately 25 million odd years ago.

Answer: Fingerprints

The koala has fingerprints that when viewed, even with electron microscopes, are similar to those of humans; it can be quite difficult to differentiate between the two. The koala is one of a very few mammals (aside from all primates) that has fingerprints.

Answer: All of these

Since the time of the early settlers, nearly 80% of Australia's eucalypt forests have been decimated by land clearing for human expansion which has resulted in the loss of koala habitat. Injury or death from road trauma and injury or death from dogs relates to an estimated 4000+ koalas dying per year. Further, the effects of chemicals in waterways, bushfires and increased competition for food and territory due to overcrowding create stress making koalas more susceptible to disease.

The biggest threat to the koala population is we humans.

Answer: Total protection of the species

Many millions of koalas were slaughtered in the 1920s for their thick fur until concerns about possible extinction led to total protection of the species in the late 1920s. However, the koala was still a source of fur to trade, and up until the 1930's, millions of koalas were shot for their pelts.

Although koalas are protected by law, around 80% of their remaining habitat is privately owned land and next to none of it is protected by law. Internationally, the koala is listed as 'potentially vulnerable'.