0
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoThe koala is not a bear because it is a marsupial, whereas a bear is a placental mammal. Marsupials and placental mammals are different sub-groups of the mammal family.
"Koala bear" is just a nickname given to the marsupial by non-Australian because of its vague resemblance to a teddy bear.
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoA koala is called a "koala" It is NOT a bear, nor even remotely related. It is a marsupial, whereas a bear is a placental mammal. "Koala bear" is just a nickname given to the marsupial by non-Australians.
Wiki User
∙ 7y agoA koala is a marsupial. Marsupial young (called joeys) are born very undeveloped, completely blind, hairless and vulnerable. The joeys crawls by instinct to its mother's pouch, where it latches onto a teat which then swells in its mouth, securing it there. The joey completes its development in the pouch, emerging for short periods after a few months. This is the case with koalas, kangaroos, wombats, Tasmanian Devils and possums, to name just a few marsupials.
Koalas belong to a order of mammals called Marsupialia or marsupials. Marsupials brood their young in pouches. Bears belong to the order Carnivora (or carnivore) and then the family Ursidae. They are most commonly related in the fact that they are both mammals. Bears are placental mammals.
The bear in "koala bear" probably comes from the fact that it looks like a teddy bear -- but teddy bears really don't look like real bears. The concept of a teddy bear came from a cartoon of Theodore Roosevelt shooting a cartoon looking bear in a comic strip back in the early 1900s.
Wiki User
∙ 7y agoKoalas are marsupials, bears are placental mammals.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoKoalas are not bears, nor are they related to the bear family. They are marsupials, whereas bears are placental mammals.
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
Is a koala bear really a bear?
A koala is not a bear. A koala is a marsupial mammal indigenous to Australia, where there are no bears.
What is a koala bear?
A koala is not a bear but a marsupial.The koala's species is Phascolarctus cinereus.
Why is it incorrect to refer to a koala as a koala bear?
It is incorrect to refer to a koala as a koala bear for the simple reason that the koala is not a member of the bear family. The koala is a marsupial, while the bear is a placental mammal. There are no native bears in Australia.
Is there a king koala bear?
No. There is no king koala, and koalas are not bears. There is no such creature as a "koala bear". It is just "koala".
What are koala bear chordate?
The koala is a member of the phylum chordata.The koala is also not a bear.
What different names does the koala have?
The koala is sometimes mistakenly called a "koala bear" or a "native bear". These names are incorrect as the koala is a marsupial, not a bear, which is a placental mammal.
Is a koala bear loud?
# there is no such thing as a koala bear # no koalas are not loud
Australian teddy bear look-alike?
Koala Bear
What kind of organism is a koala bear?
A koala is a marsupial, not a bear, which is a placental mammal.
What is the Spanish name for the koala bear?
koala
Is a koala a type of bear?
A koala isn't a bear at all, actually. It is a marsupial, whereas a bear is a placental mammal. "Koala bear" is just a nickname given to the marsupial by non-Australians.
What name is not an Australian animal koala bear platypus pademelon or wallaby?
The bear is not an Australian animal. Most read 'koala bear', right? But it is just 'koala'.
