Scientific Name

Phascolarctos cinereus Family Phascolarctidae

Status

Near threatened.
Found in eastern Australia.

Habitat

Eucalypt forests ie. blue gum, ribbon gum, swamp gum, grey gum and river red gum woodlands and forests.

Description

Marsupial weighing up to 14kg. Closest relative is the common wombat.
Lives entirely on eucalypt leaves, being adapted to digest the strong phenolic and terpene
compounds present in the leaves. One individual eats up to 500g of leaves a day.
Low metabolic rate, requiring sleeping periods of up to 18 hours.
The disease chlamydia has devastated some populations.

References

Groves, Colin. (2005). Mammal Species of the World. 3rd ed. John Hopkins University Press.