Family PHASCOLARCTIDAE
Compiler and date details
October 2010 - Updated by Stephen M. Jackson, c/- Queensland Museum, Brisbane, following Van Dyck & Strahan (2008)
31 December 1998 - G.M. McKay (1988); updated by Barry J. Richardson (1999), Centre for Biostructural and Biomolecular Research, University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury, NSW, Australia
Introduction
The koala, distinguished by its selenodont molars, strongly forcipate manus and greatly reduced tail, undoubtedly rivals "the kangaroo" as Australia's most popularized mammal. Koala biology was the subject of two recent symposia (Bergin 1978; Lee et al. 1991) which covered all aspects from anatomy and phylogeny to captive maintenance. More recent work on nutrition is summarised by Hume (1982).
Three subspecies of koala have been described, but as variation is latitudinal and apparently clinal these are treated in this work merely as synonyms.
General References
Bergin, T.J. (ed.) 1978. The Koala. Proceedings of the Taronga Symposium on Koala biology, management and medicine, Sydney 11th and 12th March 1976. Sydney : Zoological Parks Board of N.S.W. x 239 pp.
Hume, I.D. 1982. Digestive Physiology and Nutrition of Marsupials. Melbourne : Cambridge Univ. Press ix 256 pp.
Lee, A.K. & Carrick, F.N. 1989. Phascolarctidae. pp. 740-754 in Walton, D.W. & Richardson, B.J. (eds). Fauna of Australia. Mammalia. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service Vol. 1B 827 pp.
Lee, A.K., Handasyde, K.A. & Sanson, G.D. (eds) 1991. Biology of the koala. Chipping Norton : Surrey Beatty 336 pp. [Includes research papers on all aspects of koala biology]
Martin, R.W. & Handasyde, K.A. 1999. The Koala: Natural History, Biology and Conservation. Sydney : UNSW Press