With their cute fluffy ears, black button noses and stout bodies, koalas are instantly recognisable. These tree-hugging Australian natives are beautifully unique, but did you know that they share many traits with other fascinating creatures? From close marsupial relatives to other animals that have adapted to living in trees, here are five creatures that are surprisingly similar to koalas. 

1. Kangaroos 

Believe it or not, koalas and kangaroos have many things in common. Significantly, they are both marsupials. This means they belong to a group of mammals who give birth to relatively underdeveloped young that continue to grow inside a pouch. Kangaroos are the largest living marsupials and their pouches are easy to see. Female koalas also have a pouch, but it is backward-facing and harder to see. Marsupials also have a very short gestation period, which means they’re not pregnant for a long time. Both koalas and kangaroos give birth around one month after conception. The young baby - known as a Joey - then attaches to a teat inside the pouch and continues to grow while being nourished by its mother’s milk. 

2. Wombats 

The koala story and the way this creature has evolved is incredibly interesting. They have adapted significantly to Australia’s changing environment and became experts at digesting eucalyptus leaves, which are toxic to other animals. They are also the only surviving members of the Phascolarctidae family and their nearest relatives are wombats. These burrowing marsupials have a similar skeletal structure and even a backward-facing pouch like koalas. Both are herbivores, though wombats are ground-dwellers and prefer grasses. 

3. Sugar Gliders 

These creatures are tiny marsupials that live high in the treetops, much like koalas. They are native to Australia, just like the koala but can also be found in other nearby places such as Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. While they don’t solely survive on eucalyptus leaves, their diet is still tailored to a forest environment and includes sap, nectar and insects. What sets sugar gliders apart from koalas is their ability to glide from tree to tree using a membrane stretched between their limbs. 

4. Ringtail Possums 

Ringtail possums get their name from a ring of white fur on their tails. The ringtail possum’s tail helps set it apart from other possums and acts almost like a fifth limb, making it easy to climb trees. Like koalas, these possums are tree-dwelling marsupials, and are very similar to koalas in terms of behaviour. They are nocturnal, feed on leaves and build nests in eucalyptus forests. 

5. Tree Kangaroos 

Have you ever heard of tree kangaroos? Found in Northern Australia and Papua New Guinea, these fascinating creatures have adapted to life in trees, unlike their land dwelling relatives. Like koalas, they move slowly among branches and feast on leaves. Being marsupials, they also have a pouch for their young. 

If you’re interested in the life of a koala, reading a book can help you learn lots of interesting facts. You could also book tickets to a koala show such as The Koala Who Could, which is adapted from the story by Rachel Bright and Jim Field. Aimed at kids aged three and up, it has a heart-warming message told through song, dance and puppetry.