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Koala - profile

Indicative distribution

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Key:

known

predicted

The areas shown in pink and/purple are the sub-regions where the species or community is known or predicted to occur. They may not occur thoughout the sub-region but may be restricted to certain areas. ( click here to see geographic restrictions). The information presented in this map is only indicative and may contain errors and omissions.

Scientific name: Phascolarctos cinereus

Conservation status in NSW: Vulnerable

Commonwealth status: Vulnerable

Profile last updated: 07 Sep 2012

Description

The Koala is an arboreal marsupial with fur ranging from grey to brown above, and is white below. It has large furry ears, a prominent black nose and no tail. It spends most of its time in trees and has long, sharp claws, adapted for climbing. Adult males weigh 6 - 12 kg and adult females weigh 5 - 8 kg. During breeding, males advertise with loud snarling coughs and bellows.

Distribution

The Koala has a fragmented distribution throughout eastern Australia from north-east Queensland to the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. In NSW it mainly occurs on the central and north coasts with some populations in the west of the Great Dividing Range. It was briefly historically abundant in the 1890s in the Bega District on the south coast of NSW, although not elsewhere, but it now occurs in sparse and possibly disjunct populations. Koalas are also known from several sites on the southern tablelands.

Habitat and ecology

Inhabit eucalypt woodlands and forests.
Feed on the foliage of more than 70 eucalypt species and 30 non-eucalypt species, but in any one area will select preferred browse species.
Inactive for most of the day, feeding and moving mostly at night.
Spend most of their time in trees, but will descend and traverse open ground to move between trees.
Home range size varies with quality of habitat, ranging from less than two ha to several hundred hectares in size.
Generally solitary, but have complex social hierarchies based on a dominant male with a territory overlapping several females and sub-ordinate males on the periphery.
Females breed at two years of age and produce one young per year.

Regional distribution and habitat

Click on a region below to view detailed distribution, habitat and vegetation information.

Threats

Loss, modification and fragmentation of habitat.
Predation by feral and domestic dogs.
Intense fires that scorch or kill the tree canopy.
Road-kills.
Human-induced climate change, especially drought

Recovery strategies

Priority actions are the specific, practical things that must be done to recover a threatened species, population or ecological community. The Office of Environment and Heritage has identified 53 priority actions to help recover the Koala in New South Wales.

Activities to assist this species

Undertake feral predator control.
Apply low intensity, mosaic pattern fuel reduction burns in or adjacent to Koala habitat.
Retain suitable habitat, especially areas dominated by preferred feed-tree species.
Protect populations close to urban areas from attacks by domestic dogs.
Identify road-kill blackspots and erect warning signs, reduce speed limits or provide safe crossing points to reduce Koala fatalities.
Revegetate with suitable feed tree species and develop habitat corridors between populations.

Information sources

Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW (2008) Recovery Plan for the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus). DECC NSW, Sydney
Martin, R. and Handasyde, K. (1999) The Koala: natural history, conservation and management. University of New South Wales Press Ltd, Sydney.
Martin, R.W. and Handasyde K.A. (1995) Koala Phascolarctos cinereus. Pp. 196-8 in Strahan, R.(ed.) The Mammals of Australia. Reed Books, Sydney.
Menkhorst, P. and Knight, F. (2001) A Field Guide to the Mammals of Australia. Oxford Uni Press, Melbourne.
Menkhorst, P.W. (1995) Koala. Pp. 85-8 in Menkhorst, P.W (ed.) The Mammals of Victoria: Distribution, Ecology and Conservation. Oxford University Press, Australia.
Reed, P.C., Lunney, D. and Walker, P. (1990) A 1986-1987 survey of the koala Phascolarctos cinereus (Goldfuss) in New South Wales and an ecological interpretation of its distribution. In Biology of the Koala. Lee, A.K., Handasyde, K.A. and Sanson, G.D.

CMA	CMA sub-region	Known or predicted	Geographic restrictions region

Border Rivers-Gwydir	Beardy River Hills	Known	None
Border Rivers-Gwydir	Binghi Plateau	Predicted	None
Border Rivers-Gwydir	Bundarra Downs (Part A)	Known	None
Border Rivers-Gwydir	Bundarra Downs (Part B)	Known	None
Border Rivers-Gwydir	Castlereagh-Barwon	Known	None
Border Rivers-Gwydir	Deepwater Downs	Known	None
Border Rivers-Gwydir	Eastern Nandewars (Part A)	Known	None
Border Rivers-Gwydir	Eastern Nandewars (Part B)	Predicted	None
Border Rivers-Gwydir	Glenn Innes-Guyra Basalts	Known	None
Border Rivers-Gwydir	Inverell Basalts	Known	None
Border Rivers-Gwydir	Kaputar	Known	None
Border Rivers-Gwydir	Moredun Volcanics	Known	None
Border Rivers-Gwydir	Nandewar, Northern Complex	Known	None
Border Rivers-Gwydir	Northeast Forest Lands	Known	None
Border Rivers-Gwydir	Northern Basalts	Known	None
Border Rivers-Gwydir	Northern Outwash	Known	None
Border Rivers-Gwydir	Peel	Known	None
Border Rivers-Gwydir	Severn River Volcanics	Known	None
Border Rivers-Gwydir	Tenterfield Plateau	Known	None
Border Rivers-Gwydir	Tingha Plateau	Known	None
Border Rivers-Gwydir	Yarrowyck-Kentucky Downs	Known	None
Central West	Bathurst	Known	None
Central West	Bogan-Macquarie	Known	None
Central West	Canbelego Downs	Predicted	None
Central West	Capertee	Known	None
Central West	Castlereagh-Barwon	Known	None
Central West	Hill End	Known	None
Central West	Kerrabee	Known	None
Central West	Liverpool Range	Known	None
Central West	Lower Slopes	Known	None
Central West	Nymagee-Rankins Springs	Predicted	None
Central West	Oberon	Known	None
Central West	Orange	Known	None
Central West	Pilliga	Known	None
Central West	Pilliga Outwash	Known	None
Central West	Talbragar Valley	Known	None
Central West	Upper Slopes	Known	None
Central West	Wollemi	Known	None
Hawkesbury-Nepean	Bungonia	Known	None
Hawkesbury-Nepean	Burragorang (Part A)	Known	None
Hawkesbury-Nepean	Burragorang (Part B)	Known	None
Hawkesbury-Nepean	Capertee (Part A)	Known	None
Hawkesbury-Nepean	Cumberland	Known	None
Hawkesbury-Nepean	Kanangra	Known	None
Hawkesbury-Nepean	Monaro	Known	None
Hawkesbury-Nepean	Moss Vale	Known	None
Hawkesbury-Nepean	Pittwater	Known	None
Hawkesbury-Nepean	Sydney Cataract	Known	None
Hawkesbury-Nepean	Wollemi	Known	None
Hawkesbury-Nepean	Yengo	Known	None
Hunter-Central Rivers	Barrington	Known	None
Hunter-Central Rivers	Comboyne Plateau	Known	None
Hunter-Central Rivers	Ellerston	Known	None
Hunter-Central Rivers	Hunter	Known	None
Hunter-Central Rivers	Karuah Manning	Known	None
Hunter-Central Rivers	Kerrabee	Known	None
Hunter-Central Rivers	Liverpool Range	Known	None
Hunter-Central Rivers	Macleay Hastings	Known	None
Hunter-Central Rivers	Mummel Escarpment	Known	None
Hunter-Central Rivers	Pilliga	Predicted	None
Hunter-Central Rivers	Tomalla	Known	None
Hunter-Central Rivers	Upper Hunter	Known	None
Hunter-Central Rivers	Walcha Plateau	Known	None
Hunter-Central Rivers	Wollemi (Part A)	Known	None
Hunter-Central Rivers	Wollemi (Part B)	Known	None
Hunter-Central Rivers	Wollemi (Part C)	Known	None
Hunter-Central Rivers	Wyong	Known	None
Hunter-Central Rivers	Yengo	Known	None
Lachlan	Crookwell	Known	None
Lachlan	Lower Slopes	Known	None
Lachlan	Murrumbateman	Predicted	None
Lachlan	Nymagee-Rankins Springs	Known	None
Lachlan	Oberon	Predicted	None
Lachlan	Orange	Known	None
Lachlan	Upper Slopes	Known	None
Murray	Bondo	Known	None
Murray	Lower Slopes	Predicted	None
Murray	Murray Fans	Known	None
Murray	Murrumbidgee	Predicted	None
Murray	Upper Slopes	Known	None
Murrumbidgee	Bondo	Known	None
Murrumbidgee	Bondo	Predicted	None
Murrumbidgee	Kybeyan - Gourock	Known	None
Murrumbidgee	Lower Slopes	Known	None
Murrumbidgee	Monaro	Known	None
Murrumbidgee	Murrumbateman	Known	None
Murrumbidgee	Murrumbidgee	Known	None
Murrumbidgee	New South Wales Alps (Part A)	Known	None
Murrumbidgee	New South Wales Alps (Part B)	Known	None
Murrumbidgee	Upper Slopes	Known	None
Namoi	Castlereagh-Barwon	Known	None
Namoi	Eastern Nandewars	Known	None
Namoi	Kaputar	Known	None
Namoi	Liverpool Plains (Part A)	Known	None
Namoi	Liverpool Plains (Part B)	Known	None
Namoi	Liverpool Range	Known	None
Namoi	Northern Basalts	Known	None
Namoi	Peel	Known	None
Namoi	Pilliga (Part A)	Known	None
Namoi	Pilliga (Part B)	Known	None
Namoi	Pilliga Outwash	Known	None
Namoi	Walcha Plateau	Known	None
Northern Rivers	Armidale Plateau	Known	None
Northern Rivers	Carrai Plateau	Predicted	None
Northern Rivers	Cataract	Known	None
Northern Rivers	Chaelundi	Known	None
Northern Rivers	Clarence Lowlands	Known	None
Northern Rivers	Clarence Sandstones	Known	None
Northern Rivers	Coffs Coast & Escarpment	Known	None
Northern Rivers	Comboyne Plateau	Known	None
Northern Rivers	Dalmorton	Known	None
Northern Rivers	Ebor Basalts	Known	None
Northern Rivers	Glenn Innes-Guyra Basalts (Part A)	Known	None
Northern Rivers	Glenn Innes-Guyra Basalts (Part B)	Known	None
Northern Rivers	Guy Fawkes	Known	None
Northern Rivers	Macleay Gorges	Known	None
Northern Rivers	Macleay Hastings	Known	None
Northern Rivers	Murwillumbah (Qld - Southeast Hills and Ranges)	Known	None
Northern Rivers	Nightcap	Known	None
Northern Rivers	Northeast Forest Lands	Known	None
Northern Rivers	Richmond - Tweed (Qld - Scenic Rim) (Part A)	Known	None
Northern Rivers	Richmond - Tweed (Qld - Scenic Rim) (Part B)	Known	None
Northern Rivers	Rocky River Gorge	Known	None
Northern Rivers	Round Mountain	Known	None
Northern Rivers	Stanthorpe Plateau	Known	None
Northern Rivers	Upper Manning	Known	None
Northern Rivers	Walcha Plateau	Known	None
Northern Rivers	Washpool	Known	None
Northern Rivers	Wongwibinda Plateau	Predicted	None
Northern Rivers	Woodenbong	Known	None
Northern Rivers	Yuraygir	Predicted	None
Southern Rivers	Bateman	Known	None
Southern Rivers	Bungonia	Known	None
Southern Rivers	Burragorang	Predicted	None
Southern Rivers	East Gippsland Lowlands (Part A)	Known	None
Southern Rivers	East Gippsland Lowlands (Part B)	Known	None
Southern Rivers	East Gippsland Lowlands (Part C)	Known	None
Southern Rivers	Ettrema	Known	None
Southern Rivers	Illawarra	Known	None
Southern Rivers	Jervis	Known	None
Southern Rivers	Kybeyan - Gourock (Part A)	Known	None
Southern Rivers	Kybeyan - Gourock (Part B)	Known	None
Southern Rivers	Monaro (Part A)	Known	None
Southern Rivers	Monaro (Part B)	Known	None
Southern Rivers	Monaro (Part C)	Known	None
Southern Rivers	Moss Vale	Known	None
Southern Rivers	New South Wales Alps	Known	None
Southern Rivers	South East Coastal Plains	Known	None
Southern Rivers	South East Coastal Ranges (Part A)	Predicted	None
Southern Rivers	South East Coastal Ranges (Part B)	Known	None
Southern Rivers	South East Coastal Ranges (Part C)	Known	None
Sydney Metro	Cumberland	Known	None
Sydney Metro	Pittwater (Part B)	Known	None
Sydney Metro	Sydney Cataract	Known	None
Western	Barnato Downs (Part B)	Predicted	None
Western	Bogan-Macquarie	Known	None
Western	Boorindal Plains (Part A)	Predicted	None
Western	Boorindal Plains (Part B)	Known	None
Western	Castlereagh-Barwon (Part A)	Known	None
Western	Culgoa-Bokhara	Known	None
Western	Darling Depression	Known	None
Western	Louth Plains	Known	None
Western	Moonie - Barwon Interfluve, Collarenebri Interfluve	Known	None
Western	Narrandool 21	Known	None
Western	Nebine Plains, Block Range (Part A)	Known	None
Western	Nebine Plains, Block Range (Part B)	Known	None
Western	Nymagee-Rankins Springs	Predicted	None
Western	Paroo Overflow	Predicted	None
Western	Paroo-Darling Sands	Known	None
Western	Warrambool-Moonie	Known	None
Western	Warrego Plains (Part A)	Known	None
Western	Warrego Sands	Predicted	None
Western	West Warrego - Tablelands and Downs (Part A)	Known	None
Western	West Warrego - Tablelands and Downs (Part C)	Predicted	None
Western	Wilcannia Plains	Predicted	None

Sounds

Images

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Nature conservation

Threatened species