Koala

:This article is about the animal. For the computer game, see Coala.

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The Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus; sometimes also spelled Phascolarctus cinereus) is a thickset arboreal marsupial herbivore endemic to Australia, and the only representative of its family, Phascolarctidae.

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The koala's scientific name comes from the Greek: phaskolos meaning "pouch" and; arktos meaning "bear". The cinereus part is Latin and means "ash-colored". Some people refer to the koala as a koala bear—this is technically incorrect, since koala is not part of the bear family. The word "koala" comes from an aboriginal word meaning "does not drink".

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Koalas are found all along the eastern coast of Australia from near Adelaide to the base of the Cape York Peninsula, and as far into the hinterland as there is enough rainfall to support suitable forest. The koalas of South Australia were exterminated during the early part of the 20th century, but the state has since been repopulated with Victorian stock.

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Herbivore: In zoology, an herbivore is an animal that is adapted to eat primarily plant matter (rather than meat). Although such animals are sometimes refered to as being vegetarian, this term is more properly reserved for humans who choose not to eat meat as opposed to animals that are unable to....

Family: :This article is about the human domestic group. For other uses, see Family (disambiguation)....

Greek: The noun Greek refers to:...

Koala related Images and Photos (experimental)

Koala Bear Carrying Its Young	Koala Carrying 5 Month Old Baby Australia	Adolescent Northern Koala Bear	Australia Queensland Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary Koala
A Mother Koala Proudly Holds Her Ten-Month-Old Baby Sydney Australia November 7 2002	Portrayal of Opera House and Koala Sydney Australia