The koala is unique (独特的) to Australia and is an important symbol of the country. The koala is found in open eucalypt (桉树) forests in south-east Queensland. Even if it is called koala bear, this animal has nothing to do with the actual bear. Koalas have thick fur and large cars.

Their broad, flat nose makes them look cute, similar to teddy bears. In fact koalas aren\'t cute. They have sharp teeth and very sharp claws (爪)! Koalas are marsupials (有袋类). This means the mother carries her baby in a pocket while it develops, similar to a kangaroo. The baby koala lives in its mother\'s pocket for the first six months of its life.

The name “koala” comes from a native Australian word that means “no drink”. The koalas get almost all their water from the eucalyptus leaves they eat. That\'s where they get their food too.

Koalas eat only eucalyptus leaves. The eucalyptus trees are where the koalas live, it\'s also where they sleep. Koalas sleep about nineteen hours a day!

Why do they sleep so much? Some people think it\'s because they\'re lazy. But koalas aren\'t lazy. They sleep so much because there isn\'t much nutrition (营养) in eucalyptus leaves. Koalas store hardly any fat, so they must save their energy. One way to do this is to move slowly and sleep a lot. After a day of sleeping they like to move around and eat just after sunset. They live alone most of the time. Koalas are very protective of their trees. If a koala sees another koala eating in its favorite tree, it might tell the other koala to leave by “barking” at it. Koalas do “talk” to each other.

Besides barks, the males make a deep grunting (呼噜的) sound.

The mothers and babies talk in soft clicking sounds. If they get scared they may scream like a baby. The koala is also an excellent swimmer.

They are able to cross rivers to escape from heavy flooding (泛滥).