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35 days after the male and female koalas mate, the tiny koala joey emerges blind and hairless and moves into its mother's pouch, purely by instinct and lured by the smell of the mother's milk. At this stage it weighs about half a gram. Once in the mother's pouch, it then latches onto a teat, which swells in its mouth, securing it firmly so it does not fall out of the pouch. The koala joey feeds only on mothers' milk for 6-7 months.
To make the transition from mothers' milk to eucalyptus leaves, at about 6-7 months the joey begins to feed on "pap", which is actually a special form of the mother's droppings through which she can pass onto her joey the micro organisms which allow for digestion of eucalyptus leaves. No other animal lives solely on gum leaves, and special proteins are needed to digest them. One of the reasons the koala has a backward-opening pouch is so that the joey can stick its head out and feed on this pap which comes from the mother's own digestive system.
When the joey grows too large to fit in its mother's pouch, it still feeds a bit on mother's milk, lying on her stomach to feed, and spending the rest of its time firmly attached to her back. It only leaves "home" when the next breeding season starts.
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How big is a koala at birth?
A newborn baby koala is about 2cm in length, and weighs roughly half a gram.
When does a koala give birth to a baby koala?
Female koalas reach reproductive age at around two years old.
Is a baby koala called a babypup?
No. A baby koala is called a joey.
Is a joey a baby koala?
A baby koala is a joey, but a joey is not necessarily a baby koala. The term 'joey' is the name given to the young of all marsupials.
What is the name of a baby koala?
A baby koala is called a joey. It is not a 'cub', as it is not a bear. All marsupial young are called joeys.
What is a baby koala?
At birth, a koala joeyresembles a kidney bean. Less than 2cm long, it is pinl, hairless and blind, and without the prominent ears it has as an adult. Its grey oval nose is discernible.Most of a joey's (baby koala's) development takes place in the mother's pouch. As it grows, it begins to actually look like a koala. By the time the young koala is old enough to crawl out of its mother's pouch, it is a miniature replica of its parents.
How many babies does a koala give birth to at one time?
Koalas usually have just one baby at a time, but twins are not unknown.
What is the period of growth before birth called?
Gestation, and the baby is called a fetus.
Can a baby koala have a twin?
No
What is the height of a koala?
A newborn baby koala is only about a centimetre in length.
What did Kate Gosselin name the baby Koala on her trip to Australia?
Kate Gosselin named the baby koala Honey.
How much does a baby koala weigh at birth?
The weight of a koala joey is dependent upon its age. When first born, a koala joey weighs 0.5 grams. By the time the young koala is 13 weeks old, it weighs an average of 50 grams. As it grows, its weight naturally increases until, as an adult, a northern-dwelling male koala weighs up to 9kg (female 7.5kg) and a southern male koala up to 15 kg (females 9 kg).
