Koala map Phascolarctos cinereus Vulnerable
Where the koala lives: an interactive map of recorded sightings worldwide.
Approximate range, based on recorded sightings. Shapes are drawn by World Animal Map from 901 wild occurrence records on GBIF (CC0/CC BY 4.0; captive and fossil records excluded, isolated outliers removed), grouped into 1° grid cells and clipped to land. They show where the animal has been recorded, not an official range; gaps can simply mean no open data. Method · Records on GBIF
| Scientific name | Phascolarctos cinereus |
|---|---|
| Status | Vulnerable (Wikidata, IUCN category label) |
| Mapped range layers | 1 |
| Records used | 901 wild occurrence records (GBIF, CC0/CC BY) |
| Group | Marsupials |
Population
“Estimated that the 2021 koala population was 92,000, down from 185,000 two decades prior.”
Source cited by Wikipedia: “Australia warns koalas 'endangered' as numbers plunge”, Phys.org, 11 February 2022. Quoted from Wikipedia: Koala.
Interesting facts
- Koalas are largely sedentary and sleep up to twenty hours a day. [source]
- Though the foliage of over 600 species of Eucalyptus is available, the koala shows a strong preference for around 30. [source]
About the koala
The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), sometimes inaccurately called the koala bear, is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae. Its closest living relatives are the wombats. The koala is found in coastal areas of the continent'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, dark nose. The koala has a body length of 60–85 cm (24–33 in) and weighs 4–15 kg (8.8–33.1 lb). Its fur 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 are possibly separate subspecies, but not all researchers accept this.
Subspecies (2)
Subspecies listed in Wikidata as children of Phascolarctos cinereus (fossil-only taxa excluded). Classification is debated for many animals and lists differ between authorities.
- Phascolarctos cinereus adustus
no open-licence GBIF records - Phascolarctos cinereus victor
no open-licence GBIF records
Photos
Text in “About”, “Interesting facts” and “Population” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Koala (revision 1379927503), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: sentences excerpted verbatim, citations and formatting removed. No text added. Taxa and status: Wikidata Q36101 (CC0).
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