Photo from The Official Koala Handbook.  London: Chatt and Windus, 1987.
 Koalas and Bears?
    Contrary to what many people believe, koalas are not members of the bear family.  Koalas are in fact marsupials.  These are mammals that give birth to their young while their young are still early in devlopment.  The young then continue their devlopment in a pouch.  Most marsupials reside in Australia.  
    The koala's diet mainly consists of Eucalyptus leaves, while the bear can eat both meat and plants.

Habitat
    Most of the koalas live on the eastern side of Australia.  They must have Eucalyptus to survive, because the trees provide both shelter and food.  In southern Australia, koalas were hunted to extinction in the 1930's.  However, these areas have been repopulated with koalas from other areas.
     

Arnold, Caroline.  Koala.  New York:  W. Morrow, 1987.
Hunter, Simon.  The Official Koala Handbook.  London: Chatt and Windus, 1987.
 

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