From a 35-day pregnancy to a joey on mum’s back
A backward-facing pouch, a short gestation, and a long apprenticeship in the trees.
Their closest living relatives are wombats, and both have a backward-facing pouch. Queensland Government: Koala facts
Males usually begin mating at three to four years old; females can breed from about two, generally having one joey a year for the next 10 to 15 years. Queensland Government: Koala facts Gestation lasts 35 days, after which the mother usually gives birth to a single joey; twins are possible but rare. Queensland Government: Koala facts
In Queensland, births usually take place between November and February. Queensland Government: Koala facts Breeding season differs between northern and southern populations: in the north, an estimated 60% of births occur in summer and early autumn (December to March). Australian Government conservation advice for the listed koala (in effect 12 February 2022)
The joey stays in the pouch for about six months before emerging, then rides on its mother’s back for between six and 12 months. Queensland Government: Koala facts By about 12 months the young is weaned and takes up a home range that overlaps with its mother’s for much of the next year. Queensland Government: Koala facts
The Australian Museum likewise notes six months in the pouch, then a gradual weaning from milk to leaves and pap from the mother. Australian Museum: Koala The mother passes those bacteria to the joey in a sticky, runny faecal substance called pap, which the young ingests instinctively. Queensland Government: Koala facts
