What is "koala"

Koala \Ko*a"la\, n. A tailless furry marsupial ( Phascolarctos cinereus), found in Australia. The female carries her young on the back of her neck. Called also Australian bear, koala bear, native bear, and native sloth. The koala lives almost all of its life in trees, moves sluggishly like a sloth, and eats eucalyptus leaves almost exclusively.

Australian marsupial, 1808, from the Aboriginal name of the animal, variously given as koola, kulla, kula.

n. A tree-dwelling marsupial that resembles a small bear with a broad head, large ears and sharp claws, mainly found in eastern Australia.

n. sluggish tailless Australian arboreal marsupial with gray furry ears and coat; feeds on eucalyptus leaves and bark [syn: koala bear, kangaroo bear, native bear, Phascolarctos cinereus]

The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus, or, inaccurately, koala bear) is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae and its closest living relatives are the wombats. The koala is found in coastal areas of the mainland's eastern and southern regions, inhabiting Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. It is easily recognisable by its stout, tailless body and large head with round, fluffy ears and large, spoon-shaped nose. The koala has a body length of and weighs . Pelage colour ranges from silver grey to chocolate brown. Koalas from the northern populations are typically smaller and lighter in colour than their counterparts further south. These populations possibly are separate subspecies, but this is disputed.

Koalas typically inhabit open eucalypt woodlands, and the leaves of these trees make up most of their diet. Because this eucalypt diet has limited nutritional and caloric content, koalas are largely sedentary and sleep up to 20 hours a day. They are asocial animals, and bonding exists only between mothers and dependent offspring. Adult males communicate with loud bellows that intimidate rivals and attract mates. Males mark their presence with secretions from scent glands located on their chests. Being marsupials, koalas give birth to underdeveloped young that crawl into their mothers' pouches, where they stay for the first six to seven months of their lives. These young koalas, known as joeys, are fully weaned around a year old. Koalas have few natural predators and parasites, but are threatened by various pathogens, such as Chlamydiaceae bacteria and the koala retrovirus, as well as by bushfires and droughts.

Koalas were hunted by indigenous Australians and depicted in myths and cave art for millennia. The first recorded encounter between a European and a koala was in 1798, and an image of the animal was published in 1810 by naturalist George Perry. Botanist Robert Brown wrote the first detailed scientific description of the koala in 1814, although his work remained unpublished for 180 years. Popular artist John Gould illustrated and described the koala, introducing the species to the general British public. Further details about the animal's biology were revealed in the 19th century by several English scientists. Because of its distinctive appearance, the koala is recognised worldwide as a symbol of Australia. Koalas are listed as of Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The Australian government lists populations in Queensland and New South Wales as Vulnerable. The animal was hunted heavily in the early 20th century for its fur, and large-scale cullings in Queensland resulted in a public outcry that initiated a movement to protect the species. Sanctuaries were established, and translocation efforts moved to new regions koalas whose habitat had become fragmented or reduced. The biggest threat to their existence is habitat destruction caused by agriculture and urbanisation.

"Koala" is a song by Dutch DJ and producer Oliver Heldens. It was released as a digital download on 16 July 2014 in the Netherlands. The song was written and produced by Oliver Heldens. The song has peaked to number 42 in the Netherlands, the song has also charted in Belgium.

The vocal cover of this song named "Last All Night (Koala)" was released onto YouTube on 8 October 2014 under the channel of FFRR.

A koala is a marsupial native to Australia.

Koala may also refer to:

• The Koala, a satirical comedy college paper
• "Koala" (song), a song by Oliver Heldens
• El Koala or Jesús Manuel Rodríguez, Spanish musician
• Fisher FP-202 Koala, a kit aircraft
• Caramello Koala, a confectionery made by the Cadbury Company
• AgustaWestland AW119 Koala, a helicopter
• Koala (web server), an HTTP server used by Dylan Server Pages
• Kids Own Australian Literature Awards (KOALA)
• Oliver Heldens