Koala Bears
Articles
Behavior
Characteristics
Conservation
Diet
Habitat

Koala Bears Behavior

Arboricole (lives in the trees), rarely goes on the ground.

They are completely harmless, and they adore the human lap, but be careful with their nails, they are very sharp.

Koalas aren’t very active. They spend most of the day sleeping in the trees. When a sleepy koala moves, it often looks as if it is in slow motion.

Koalas don’t have a lot of energy, because of their food. Eucalyptus leaves don’t provide much energy, so koalas move slowly most of the time.

Koalas are mainly nocturnal animals, which means they are more active at night. The air is cooler at this time, so koalas lose less valuable moisture than they would during hot daylight hours.  Moving around is also less tiring when it is cooler.

Koalas spend eighteen to twenty hours each day resting and sleeping in trees. They only come to the ground when moving from one tree to another. When they are not sleeping, koalas are often eating.  They spend less than one percent of their day in other activities, such as grooming, traveling between trees, or finding a mate.

By sleeping often, koalas saves their energy for finding food, climbing trees, grooming themselves, and caring for Joeys.

Koalas come down to the ground as little as possible. They spend all their time high in the treetops.

If they need to move from one tree to another, they jump.

In hot weather, Koalas move from one branch to another to find a breeze. To cool off, they rest in the shady fork of a tree or lie with their arms and legs dangling in the air.

At night, when is cooler, koalas climb higher to search for food. If the air is cold, Koalas curl up .Just like people do when they are chilly.

In cool weather, the Koala sleeps curled into a tight ball, to keep in body warmth. In hot weather it lies draped over a branch, to let a cooling breeze blow around its legs and body. Koalas do not sweat, but they may lick themselves. As the spit dries. It draws heat from the body – in same way that our sweat keeps us cool

During the day, the koala wakes occasionally to groom its fur or change position. In hot weather  it moves into the shade. On cool days it looks for a sunny, warm branch.

If necessary for an escape, koalas are good swimmers too. But if they smell trouble, they will always climb up the closest tree. This is where they are safest.

Some people think koalas are lazy because they sleep so much or because they seem to move in slow motion. They definitely don’t appear to be in a hurry. And there is a very good reason. Eucalyptus leaves are low in nutrients. Even though Koalas eat a lot of them, the leaves don’t provide them with much energy. So koalas conserve their energy by moving slowly and getting plenty of sleep.

Living Alone

Koalas are not very social animals. They do not live together in groups or families. Koalas prefer to live alone. They are seldom friendly to one another. Several koalas may live in the same area, but they will not socialize, or hang out together. If more than one ends up in the same tree, they will avoid each other and stay on separate branches. Mothers and babies are the only koalas that spend much time together.

Koalas make sounds and gesture to show how they feel. Even though they may look calm and cuddly, koalas can be noisy and nasty. Angry koalas often scratch or bite anyone or anything that bothers them.

When a koala is hurt or feels afraid, it lets out a wail that sounds like a crying baby. If you try touching a wild koala, it may scream. 

Male koalas sometimes make a bellowing sound to attract females.