Bears: Koala Bear Facts
admin
Foremost among Koala Bear facts is that Koalas do not belong to the Ursidae, or Bear, family. Rather, they are actually marsupials, classified as such because Koala females rear their young in a pouch-like enclosure beneath their chest. However, the overall appearance of the Koala shares many characteristics with actual bears, so the mistake is understandable.
Koala Bear Facts
The study of marsupials by biologists all over the world has revealed an assortment of surprising Koala Bear facts. For example, fossils discovered in Australia indicate that the Koala has been around for 25 to 40 million years. Inhabiting the Eucalyptus forests of Eastern and Southeastern Australia, Koala Bears were once large in number. However, the Koala population decreased sharply when it was discovered by Western fur traders.
There are currently an estimated 70,000 Koala Bears now living wild in Australia. Koala habitat is generally measured by the density of forest growth, and specifically by the preponderance of Eucalyptus trees within the forest. The average life span of a Koala in the wild is no more than 17 years. During their adult lives, Koala Bears are known to sleep an average of 16 hours a day in order to conserve energy. The rest of their time is largely devoted to feeding.
Koala Bear facts regarding breeding are common to most other marsupials. Koalas breed approximately once per year, typically in a season that lasts from March to September. Gestation lasts only 35 days, after which the baby koala, or Joey crawls into the mothers pouch and remains there for the next six months.
Related Content
Koala Bear Facts
Foremost among Koala Bear facts is that Koalas do not belong to the Ursidae, or Bear, family. Rather, they are actually marsupials, classified as such because Koala females rear their young in a pouch-like enclosure beneath their chest. However, the...
Koala Bear Information
The increasing scarcity of the Koala has prompted biologists to redouble their efforts to add to the existing body of Koala Bear information. There is considerable debate among environmentalists and government officials as to whether the future of the...
Koala Bears
There are perhaps no marsupials more renowned than Koala Bears. The irony of this misleading bit of nomenclature is likely a product of the Koala's generic resemblance to certain species of Bear. Like bears, Koalas are rounded, forest dwelling mammals...
Koala Bear Pictures
Those interested in taking their own Koala Bear pictures will need to take a trip "down under," because Koala Bears reside only in Australia. However, because Koala Bears are so popular, there is no shortage of Koala Bear pictures which will satisfy the...
Bear Facts
Ever since I was a young child hiking in the wooded mountains of Montana's Glacier National Park, I've been curious about bears and have sought out bear facts wherever I could find them. As I was to discover, finding actual bears is a good deal more...
Bear Anatomy
Much has been written about bear anatomy, which for a long time relied on anecdotal evidence to supply information on size, habitat and other characteristics. Through increased wildlife management, radio tracking, and other forms of scientific...
Grizzly Bears
Once feared and often mythologized, Grizzly Bears are now the subject of intense study in the biological community. It is hoped that with an added understanding of their habitat, mating rituals, and diet, the population of the Grizzly Bear will return to...
Information On Panda Bears
It is exceedingly difficult to obtain information on Panda Bears in their natural habitat because their numbers are so scarce. Wild Panda Bears are quite rare, although they are often zoo celebrities. Biologists estimate that there are no more than 5,000...
Black Bear Information
There is a large amount of Black Bear information available in North America, which is home to the Black Bear. Scientists employed by universities and by the federal government are able to study the Black Bear in close proximity, and their findings are...
Panda Bear Facts
Concerned by the significant depletion of Panda Bear populations in the wild, Environmentalists are attempting to raise awareness by furnishing the public with a variety of Panda Bear Facts. As a result, those interested in Panda Bears and Panda Bear...
Posted on: Friday, June 20, 2008 at 2:32 pm 
Bears, Pets & Animals. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
