Koalas are unique to Australia, having evolved there when the continent was drifting northwards from Antarctica, around 45 million years ago. These furry critters share a common ancestor with wombats, and diverged from them between 30 and 40 million years ago, heading up into the trees while wombats remained on the ground.

If you have Rachel Bright and Jim Field’s koala book, The Koala Who Could, you’ll know that koalas are solitary animals who like to stay in their favourite tree, and rarely visit the ground. But how much do you know about baby koalas? Here, we share seven fun facts about them.

Koala babies are called joeys

Many people use the term ‘koala bear’, but these animals are not bears at all. Like kangaroos, they are marsupials and the babies are called joeys.

Joeys are born one at a time

Like humans, the majority of koala mums give birth to just one baby at a time, with rare occasions of twins being recorded. Joeys are usually born between September and February - the Australian summer months.

Joeys are tiny

Koala mums are only pregnant for about 35 days, which means that their babies are born really tiny. They usually weigh about one gram and measure about 2cm long. When they’re born, they find their way to mum’s pouch using their strong sense of smell, and finish growing there.

Koala babies are born blind

Koala babies are born blind and with no ears or hair. However, they do have well-developed senses of smell and touch at birth, as well as strong forelimbs and claws.

Koala babies grow fast

They might be born very small, but koala babies quickly grow thanks to the milk they drink, which is high in protein. They can grow up to ten times their initial size within three months of being born.

Joeys need to eat pap before they can eat eucalyptus

The koala’s diet of eucalyptus leaves is highly toxic, so babies can’t move straight from their mothers’ milk to solids. In order to prepare their digestive system they eat pap, a special type of poop that gives them all the beneficial microbes they need to break down the toxins in eucalyptus leaves and properly digest the leaves’ tough fibres.

Joeys stay with mum until a sibling arrives

A joey will stay with its mother until she has another joey that’s ready to leave her pouch. This means babies usually stay with mum until they are one to two years old, depending on how often the mum breeds.

If the cuddly koala is one of your favourite animals, don’t miss the chance to see the stage adaptation of The Koala Who Could at your local theatre. Currently touring the UK, the production is aimed at kids aged three and up, and uses stunning puppetry and lively songs to retell the story. At 55 minutes long with no interval, it’s perfect for shorter attention spans. Book tickets today at your local venue.