The koala is an iconic Australian marsupial, often mistakenly called a “koala bear.” This tree-dwelling animal is not a bear, but a marsupial whose closest living relatives are the wombats. Koalas occupy eucalyptus forests across eastern and southern Australia. The question of what to call a group of these animals leads to an exploration of their solitary nature.
The Name for a Group of Koalas
Koalas do not have a widely accepted or officially recognized collective noun because they rarely form large social units. The most accurate and commonly used descriptions are simply “a group” or “a koala population.”
When discussing koalas in a specific geographic area, the term “koala colony” is often used, though this describes a concentration of individuals rather than a cohesive social unit. Informal suggestions, such as “a cuddle” or “a cling,” are generally regarded as folklore, not scientific terms.
Koala Social Behavior
Koalas are largely asocial animals with a solitary, sedentary lifestyle. Their diet consists almost entirely of highly fibrous eucalyptus leaves, which provide little energy. This low-energy intake requires koalas to conserve resources, leading them to sleep or rest for up to 20 hours each day.
Adult koalas maintain individual home ranges for feeding and shelter. While these ranges often overlap, the koalas remain separate, spending minimal time on social behaviors. Mature males communicate their presence using a prominent scent gland on their chest. They rub this gland against tree trunks, leaving a chemical signal that marks their territory and status, and advertises availability to potential mates.
When Koalas Gather
Although koalas are predominantly solitary, they interact for reproduction and early life care. The most stable social unit is a female koala and her dependent offspring, known as a joey. The joey remains with its mother for up to a year before establishing its own home range. Adult interactions are brief and revolve around the breeding season, which occurs from spring to early autumn.
During the breeding season, male koalas use a deep, resonant bellow that travels significant distances through the forest. This bellowing attracts females and intimidates rival males without requiring a physical fight. The unique male bellow is produced by specialized vocal cords, allowing the koala to create sounds much lower in frequency than expected for an animal of its size. This acoustic signal contains information about the male’s body size, which females use when selecting a mate. Koalas also gather in areas of high population density where abundant, quality eucalyptus trees cause home ranges to be smaller and more clumped.