1: Which Australian mammal spends most of its life in trees?
A Wallaby
B Emu
C Koala
Koalas spend almost all their lives in eucalyptus trees, whose fragrant leaves provide them with all the food they need. They touch ground occasionally, usually to move to another tree.
Because eucalyptus leaves are low in calories and nutrients, koalas conserve energy by resting and sleeping up to 20 hours a day (in the branches of trees, of course). They spend their waking hours feeding. Eucalyptus leaves are poisonous to most animals, but the digestive systems of koalas are able to detoxify them.
The correct answer is Koala.
2: Koalas are what type of animal?
A Marsupial
B Rodent
C Bear
Koalas are marsupials, as are kangaroos, wallabies, and opossums, meaning they are born not fully developed. Marsupial mothers carry and nurse their babies inside pouches attached to their bellies until they’re older. Most marsupials are found in Australia and New Guinea.
The correct answer is Marsupial.
3: The koala’s closest living relative is the…
A Tasmanian devil
B Quokka
C Wombat
Koalas are most closely related to wombats, which are also marsupials. Like koalas, wombats are herbivores but have a more diverse diet. They’re also bigger and live underground. They have powerful claws and rodent-like teeth to dig burrows.
Another distinctive feature of wombats is their backward-facing pouch, an advantage when digging a burrow as dirt doesn’t get inside the pouch. Wombats also excrete cube-shaped dung, which they stack as a way of marking territory and attracting mates.
The correct answer is Wombat.