Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus)

Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) are tree-dwelling animals of eastern Australia, where they make their home in eucalyptus trees. Their paws have strong claws and opposable digits to help them climb and move around the trees. Koalas prefer the safety of the trees and rarely climb down to the ground. They are very sleepy creatures, usually sleeping through the day for up to  18 to 20 hours.

Female Koala - by Quartl - CC BY-SA 3.0

Diet of eucalyptus leaves

They usually wake at night to feed on their favorite food of eucalyptus leaves and will consume about 1 kg (2.5 lbs) a day. They also have cheek pouches which they can store food in.  Koalas get most of their moisture from the leaves when eating rather than drinking water.

Because they are specialized feeders their digestive system has evolved to digest the tough leaves of the eucalyptus tree. Due to the great quantities of eucalyptus leaves they eat koalas can sometimes smell like cough drops.  Read more