If you’ve ever looked at a koala bear book you’ll recognise these creatures’ cute faces with their tufty ears and large noses. Koalas are fascinating animals, not least because they are only found in Australia, making them seem quite exotic to those of us living here in the UK. You may also know that koalas’ favourite food is eucalyptus - but do you know how much they eat and how they get water? Here, we take a look at everything you need to know about what these adorable critters eat and drink.

Diet

Koalas’ diets consist largely of eucalyptus leaves, but they will also munch on other related tree species, including brush box, paperbark and bloodwood trees. These fibrous leaves are very low in energy, comprising just 5% of sugars and starches, so koalas need to eat between 200-500 grams every day. Luckily, they have a very slow metabolism, meaning they keep food in their digestive systems for a long time. This means they can maximise the amount of energy they extract from their diet. 

The leaves that koalas feast on have a very high water content - up to 50%. It’s for this reason you’ll rarely see a koala climbing down to the ground for a drink of water; they simply don’t need to. They have also been observed licking up the water that trickles down tree trunks during rainfall. Since the trees they live in provide all the fluid they require, they rarely need to leave them.  

A toxic food source

Believe it or not, the eucalyptus leaves that are central to a koala’s diet are highly toxic and most animals cannot eat them. However, koalas have a special way of digesting these plants to ensure they don’t come to any harm. First, they grind the leaves into a paste with their ridged teeth, allowing nutrients to be absorbed when the food reaches their stomachs. The toxins are then filtered out by the liver and excreted as waste. Any remaining toxins are broken down by special bacteria in a part of their digestive system called the caecum (pronounced see-kum). 

Koalas aren’t born with this bacteria, and must obtain it from their mothers. They do this by eating ‘pap’, a special poop-like substance that is produced by the mother alongside milk. 

Fussy eaters

Koalas are notoriously fussy eaters: they won’t eat any type of eucalyptus leaves, but will graze from only a select few types. Out of some 600-650 species of eucalyptus in Australia, they will only eat a handful. This is thought to be because some tree types are too toxic even for koalas’ robust digestive systems. 

Discover The Koala Who Could

If you love koalas, why not head to your local theatre to see the stage adaptation of Rachel Bright’s The Koala Who Could book? Telling the story of how Kevin the Koala learns to embrace change, it’s a fun and family-friendly production featuring charming puppetry and plenty of interactive moments. The show is suitable for ages three and up, and brings the magic of this popular koala book to life. Book your tickets today!