Koalas have a reputation for being one of the cutest and cuddliest creatures on earth; however, they are anything but. They are found in the eucalyptus forests of eastern Australia. They have grey fur with a cream-colored chest and powerful, clawed feet. Koalas grow up to be big eaters. They are sure to only select the most nutritious and tastiest leaves from the trees where they live. These creatures of the night – and yes, they are nocturnal – will pee on you as fast as look at you, and they might give you an STD in the process!
People frequently refer to them as “koala bears,” but koalas are not related to bears. They are marsupials, a type of mammal whose females carry their young in a front pouch. Their offspring are referred to as a joey. When they are born, a joey uses its strong sense of smell and touch to find its way. A joey can grow and develop in the pouch for about six months. After that, they ride around on their mother’s back for another six months. However, in many ways, bears may be friendlier! Read on to learn more about these terrifying creatures that are much less cuddly than you may like to think.
30. Koalas Are Incredibly Lazy
If you ever happen to come upon a koala, you probably won’t do so with the creature swinging through the trees like you may have seen in the movies. The koala will probably be asleep, as the marsupials sleep for as much as 18 to 20 hours a day! Koalas are known for their laziness and sleeping abilities. As they spend sleeping, they are only awake for two to six hours a day. It means that they sleep even more than cats, who sleep for only about 16 hours per day. They are some of the laziest creatures in the world.
Their diet is to blame for their sleepiness, though. The eucalyptus leaves contain toxins that are very high in fiber. The koala’s digestive system has to work extremely hard to digest it. The process involves breaking down the toxins and extracting the limited nutrients. They get very little energy from their diet, which is why they tend to spend the majority of their time sleeping. They are more lethargic even than sloths, which sleep as much as cats do. You would be hard-pressed to find a teenage boy on a weekend who sleeps as much as koalas do.
Imagine what would happen if cats had thumbs. They would be able to terrorize their owners and quickly take over the world! However, though not as cunning as cats, koalas might be harboring the same plans for world domination. Opposable thumbs are great. Humanity owes a lot of its functionality and accessibility to this finger joint’s pivoting ability, and without it, we would be constrained. However, koalas have one-upped us all! They do have thumbs, unlike our feline friends. They have two on their front paws! Not only are their thumbs opposable, but they have sharp claws on the ends.
Koalas use their two opposable thumbs on each paw to climb about the eucalyptus trees. Along their journey, they will munch on the leaves as they go. Their feet are pretty unique too. They have two toes on each of their back paws that are fused. This default comb is what allows them to groom their fur and maintain an immaculate appearance successfully. If they were just a little bit cleverer, then they might be able to take over the world. Let’s hope that they don’t get into cahoots with cats because then their plans very well might succeed.
28. Koalas Don’t Get Drunk, Because They Don’t Drink Anything
There is a common myth about koalas that they sleep so much because they are continually getting drunk off of the eucalyptus leaves that they eat. However, koalas don’t get drunk, or high, or anything else related to their diet. They are pretty much incapable of getting high or drunk. Koalas don’t drink anything! The name “koala” comes from the Aboriginal word that means “no drink.” Moreover, they are impervious to the toxic effects of the eucalyptus leaves. They don’t do much of anything except eat eucalyptus leaves and sleep. However, you might be wondering how they can survive without water.
Scientists have solved a long lingering mystery a