Koalas are marsupial mammals, which means that their young are born immature and that they develop further in the safety of a pouch, like kangaroos. They can grow to between 60 and 85 centimeters, or 24 and 33 inches, in length. They can weigh about 14 kilograms, or 31 pounds. Find out more!

Wild koalas can live between 12 and 14 years. Captive koalas can live between 16 and 20 years, due to better living conditions. They’re found in the eucalyptus forests of eastern Australia. They have grey fur with a cream colored chest and strong, clawed feet, which makes them perfect for living in trees.

Their offspring grow and develop in the pouch for about 6 months. Once they’re strong enough, they will ride around on their mother’s back for another 6 months, using the pouch to feed. They almost never need to drink water as they get all of their water from the leaves the eat. When the food is scarce, they’ll drink water from streams and lakes.

They’re nocturnal, which means that they’re mostly active during the night. During the day, they sleep while being tucked into forks or nooks in trees. They’re known to sleep between 18 and 20 hours per day. Koalas use several types of noises to communicate with each other. They usually rag and sometimes they sound like they’re snoring.