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    • Koalas

    Koalas

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    Although often called koala bears because of their resemblance to cuddly teddy bears, koalas are marsupials, not bears. Koalas are native to Australia and related to kangaroos and wombats. Learn more at these adorable koala sites.

    		Koalas Resource Handout for Classroom or Homeschool: Just $2.00

    DLTK: Koala Crafts and Activities for Children5 stars

    Visit DLTK for koala paper crafts such as a Koala Toilet Paper Roll, Koala Paper Plate, and a Koala Wreath. DLTK also offers online jigsaw puzzles and printable coloring pages for koalas, kangaroos, kookaburras, and kiwis. For more Australian crafts and puzzles, follow the Other Australian Animals link in the menu just below the search box.



    Koala Tracker4 stars

    "Australia's national koala mapping project, KoalaTracker, is crowdsourcing the location, points of impact and causes of death and injury for the public record – bringing science, policymakers and community together to take effective action to save the koala." For those of us not able to track koalas in the wild, there is an interesting FAQ page (What do koalas eat?) and a gallery of photos taken by volunteers.

    National Geographic Kids: Koala5 stars

    "A koala mother usually gives birth to one joey at a time. A newborn koala is only the size of a jelly bean. Called a joey, the baby is blind, naked, and earless. As soon as it's born, this tiny creature makes its way from the birth canal to its mother's pouch. Using the two well-developed senses it's born with – smell and touch – along with its strong front legs and claws and an instinct that tells it which direction to head, the baby koala reaches the pouch." With quick facts and a map of the koala's range, this single-page National Geographic site is a short but sweet introduction to the koala.

    San Diego Zoo: Koalas5 stars

    "Koalas are naturally solitary animals that are mostly active at night and spend most of their time napping and eating. Koalas eat only eucalyptus leaves. Eating leaves from one kind of plant may seem boring, but there are more than 600 different kinds of eucalyptus trees and, from a koala's point of view, each looks and tastes very different! Koalas prefer the leaves of about three-dozen varieties." If you visit during PST daylight you'll be able to watch the Koala Live Cam. The photo gallery, however, is available 24/7.

    Save the Koala5 stars

    The kids' section of this koala conservation group includes Fascinating Facts, Furry Photos, and Fun Stuff such as a dot-to-dot puzzle, printable crossword and word search activity. "Koalas' fur is different in different parts of Australia. In the southern parts of Australia it is longer and shaggier than in the north, in order to keep them warm in the cold southern winters."

    		Koalas Resource Handout for Classroom or Homeschool: Just $2.00



    Honorable Mentions

    The following links are either new discoveries or sites that didn't make it into my newspaper column because of space constraints. Enjoy!

    Animal Fact Guide: Koalas

    Easy Science for Kids: All About Koalas

    National Geographic: Koalas

    San Diego Zoo Kids: Koala Facts


    Cite This Page

    Feldman, Barbara. "Koalas." Surfnetkids. Feldman Publishing. 13 Sep. 2022. Web. 21 Nov. 2024. <https://www.surfnetkids.com/resources/koalas/ >.


    About This Page

    By . Originally published September 13, 2022. Last modified September 13, 2022.

    Filed Under: Animals, Science

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