Koala

Koala Temporal range: 0.7–0 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓ Middle Pleistocene – Recent
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kinrick:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Cless:	Mammalia
Infracless:	Marsupialia
Order:	Diprotodontia
Faimily:	Phascolarctidae
Genus:	Phascolarctos
Species:	P. cinereus
Binomial name
Phascolarctos cinereus (Goldfuss, 1817)
Koala range (red – native, purple – introduced)
Synonyms
Lipurus cinereus Goldfuss, 1817 Marodactylus cinereus Goldfuss, 1820 Phascolarctos fuscus Desmarest, 1820 Phascolarctos flindersii Lesson, 1827 Phascolarctos koala J.E. Gray, 1827 Koala subiens Burnett, 1830

The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus or inaccurately, koala bear) is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native tae Australie. It is the anly extant representative o the faimily Phascolarctidae, an its closest livin relatives are the wombats. The koala is foond in coastal auries o the mainland's eastren an soothren regions, inhabitin Queensland, New Sooth Wales, Victoria an Sooth Australie. It is easily recognisable bi its stout, tailless body; roond, fluffy lugs; an lairge, spoon-shaped neb. The koala haes a body lenth o 60–85 cm (24–33 in) an weighs 4–15 kg (9–33 lb). Pelage colour ranges frae siller grey tae chocolate broun. Koalas frae the northren populations are teepically smawer an lichter in colour than thair coonterpairts further sooth. It is possible that these populations are separate subspecies, but this is disputit.