How long does the Koala sleep each day? 

The Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is an arboreal (tree-living) marsupial in the Phascolarctidae family, found in eastern and southern coastal Australia.

The Koala sleeps for 20-22 hours a day. A day is 24 hours, so a Koala sleeps for 83% to 92% of a day. 

Why does the Koala need to sleep for so much time? 

The Koala eats eucalyptus leaves, which means that it is a herbivore. A herbivorous diet has less nutrition than a mixed diet (omnivorous diet). 

All leaves and foliage are high in fibre, so they take a lot of energy to digest the fibre. Using up so much energy is tiring.

The eucalyptus leaf contains water and a natural disinfectant which can be toxic in large quantities. The Koala is tolerant to the toxic compounds, but scientists that that the toxins might also contribute to the Koala’s need for sleep.  

Location of photographs: Adelaide Hills, South Australia, Australia

Photographer: Martina Nicolls

Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM