Nine fascinating koala facts you might not know
Issued: 8 Oct 5 mins read

Our koalas are more than just a pretty face – here are some fun facts about their bellies, bums, and more.

They’re cute, they’re iconic, and they’re an internationally beloved symbol of Australian fauna – but how much do you really know about koalas? Like many of Queensland’s creatures, these fascinating fuzzballs are more than just a pretty face – they’re a symbol of long-running traditional culture, resilience in the face of change, and some truly incredible biological features.

We’re here to dig below the surface and showcase some cool koala facts you might not have heard before. From their napping abilities to their cushioned cabooses, here are nine koala facts that will impress your nerdiest animal-loving mates.

1. Their name means ‘no water’

It's believed that the word ‘koala’ was derived from the word gula which, in the language of the Dharug people of the Sydney region, means ‘no water’. Fittingly, koalas get most of their hydration from eucalyptus leaves and rarely need to drink.

Looking for a more localised name? In South East Queensland, koalas are known by various names in different languages: dumbirrbi in the Jagera and Turrbul languages, marrambi in the Ugarapul language, and borobi in the Ugambeh language.

2. They belong to their own unique family

This koala fact is giving major Main Character Energy. While they are still classified as marsupials like kangaroos and possums, koalas are so unique that they have their own family: Phascolarctidae. Their closest living relatives are wombats, with whom they share a backward-facing pouch.

Good grip – a koala’s thumbs (and claws) help it scale the gum trees.

3. Two thumbs up for climbing

It’s all in that upper-body strength … Koalas have two opposable thumbs on each front paw, giving them a powerful grip on even the smoothest gum tree trunks. If you spot scratch marks on a gum tree, chances are a koala has been climbing there.

4. A toxic taste in food

Talk about a cast-iron stomach! Eucalypt leaves are toxic to most animals, but koalas have a specialised gut and bacteria that help them digest them. They eat around half a kilo of leaves a day, which is about the size of a small lettuce.

A grey koala with a white chest reclines on a thin gum tree branch, its leg gripping a forked branch above.

Comfy? Koalas are napping pros, sleeping for a large chunk of their day.

5. World-class napping champions

Feeling bad about your weekend sleep-in? You’ve got nothing on koalas – thanks to their low-energy diet, these relaxed creatures snooze for up to 20 hours a day. When awake, they’re mostly active at night, dawn and dusk – unless they’re disturbed or on the move.

6. Cushions for comfort

Ever seen a koala wedged amongst branches and thought it couldn’t possibly be comfortable? Turns out they have a built-in system to deal with the lack of soft furnishings in their habitat. Koalas have toughened rumps that let them perch comfortably in tree forks for hours. While wombats are known to use their own hardened backsides for defence, for koalas, it’s more about optimal snoozing conditions.

Male koalas use a distinctive resonant donkey-like bellow to convey their dominance during mating season.

This one, at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane, seems to come out of a nap to mark its presence.

The Lone Pine sanctuary: http://koala.net/

More on koala conservation and biology at Dot Earth:
A Conservation Challenge Down Under: Koalas, Chlamydia, Culling http://nyti.ms/1k4DKU3

A research paper on the phenomenon:

Free-Ranging Male Koalas Use Size-Related Variation in Formant Frequencies to Assess Rival Males
Benjamin D. Charlton,1,* Desley A. Whisson,2 and David Reby1
Claudio Ricardo Lazzari, Editor

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3726542/

Koalas are marsupial mammals that inhabit the Eucalyptus forests of eastern Australia [27]. The koala’s solitary nature and conspicuous vocal activity during the breeding season [28-30] indicates that vocal communication is likely to be important for coordinating this species’ reproductive behavior, and makes the koala well suited for studying the function of vocal signals in mammal sexual communication. Recent work has revealed that the formant frequency spacing of male koala bellows is a reliable acoustic cue to the caller’s body size [6]. In addition, playback studies, using re-synthesis techniques to shift formants in male bellows, have shown that estrous female koalas move preferentially towards male bellows with lower formants simulating larger callers [25], and also confirmed that male koalas perceive formant shifts in male bellows corresponding to the natural variation in body size between a large and small adult male [31]. Taken together, these findings indicate that inter-sexual selection pressures will favor individuals able to produce lower formants in their bellows, and also suggest that size-related formant information could be functionally relevant to male koalas.
Nevertheless, because these previous studies were conducted on captive animals, the response of koalas to size-related formant information in their natural environment remains to be investigated. Indeed, whereas captive male koalas do not display differential looking responses to male bellows simulating different size callers [31], other behavioral responses to size-related formant information (such as differences in vocal behavior) may become apparent in free-ranging males that are actively competing for females during the breeding season. Signaling body size is important for determining the outcome of agonistic interactions between males in several terrestrial vertebrates [e.g. 18,32,33] and the male koala’s permanently descended larynx certainly suggests strong selection pressures for callers to elongate their vocal tracts and lower formants [6], in order to maximize the acoustic impression of their body size conveyed to receivers [34]. Thus, because formants are salient to male koalas [31] it is reasonable to predict that they use these acoustic cues to assess the body size of prospective rivals, allowing them to avoid escalating contests with larger, and potentially more dangerous individuals.

7. Loud and proud

You wouldn’t know it by looking at them, but it turns out koalas have some stunning vocal abilities. Male koalas produce deep, bellowing calls during breeding season to let the ladies know they’re ready and available. These calls can carry for up to a kilometre on a still night – and for the uninitiated, they can sound quite terrifying!

8. Surprisingly speedy

If you’ve ever seen a koala leisurely shuffling across a road, you probably assumed that they’re not exactly the fastest creatures in the forest – but did you know they’re actually capable of sprinting? When threatened, koalas can break out into a bounding gallop, hitting speeds of up to 30 km an hour – not bad for a tree-dweller!

Side-by-side image of two koalas: left side shows a northern koala greyer in colour and smaller, right side shows a southern koala with slightly browner colouring and of a larger size.

Spot the difference – northern koalas (left) and southern koalas (right) have a different aesthetic.

9. North vs south

State of Origin isn’t the only time that differences between Queensland and New South Wales become startlingly apparent – it turns out our koalas are as distinct as our footy teams. Northern koalas are smaller and lighter (around 5–8 kg), while southern koalas can be almost twice the size, with males weighing up to 12 kg. Queensland koalas are also lighter in colour and have slightly less fur.

What’s being done to help Queensland’s koalas?

Koalas may be one of Australia’s most beloved animals, but as an endangered species, they need a high level of protection. This YouTube playlist showcases some of the incredible work happening on the ground in the South East Queensland koala conservation space. From habitat restoration and population monitoring to threat reduction, t’s a fascinating glimpse of how ideas turn into tangible action.

By bringing together governments, researchers, businesses, conservation groups and local communities, we're building the foundations for koala recovery and long-term survival. The goal? To halt population decline, restore thousands of hectares of koala habitat, and ensure that these incredible creatures remain part of Queensland’s landscapes.

Get involved in koala conservation

Want to help make a difference to koala conservation in your everyday life? There are some easy things you can do:

Drive carefully– obey speed limits, slow down in areas with koala crossing signs, and watch for koalas on the road (especially at night).

Be a responsible pet owner– keep your dog on a leash when you take them for walks, supervise your dog when they are off-leash, and consider wildlife avoidance training. It’s important to note that some off-leash dog areas are in koala habitat, so knowing how to get your pooch to keep their distance is crucial.

Make your outdoor spaces koala-friendly – add gaps, rails or poles to your fences so koalas can safely pass through, and plant koala-friendly trees if possible.

Report all sightings of koalas – if you spot a koala in the wild, log the sighting in the free QWildlife app. Every report helps build a clearer picture of where koalas live and move, guiding future conservation efforts.

Know how to recognise a sick or injured koala– if you see a koala exhibiting any of the symptoms in the graphic below, call 1300 ANIMAL (264 625) immediately and wait for advice. Avoid touching or moving the koala, keep dogs and kids at a safe distance, and stay with the koala until help arrives.

Graphic depicting five different warning signs to look out for when assessing illness or injury in koalas.

Want to test your newfound sick koala detection skills? Take this free quiz and see if you can spot the koalas who need medical attention!

Nine fascinating koala facts you might not know Issued: 8 Oct 5 mins read