Koalas are fuzzy, leaf-loving Australian tree-huggers. Pandas are Eastern-hemisphere-dwelling giants. They’re both epic in their own right. What makes these bears so amazing? Here are some fun facts about these two species. You decide which bear reigns supreme.
Koalas sleep up to 18 hours a day.
All of that tree-hugging makes them sleepy.
Pandas can weigh up to 250 pounds.
That bamboo diet.
Koalas can eat poisonous eucalyptus leaves.
Their digestive systems are specially designed to detoxify the harmful chemicals that would make other species sick. They eat up to two and a half pounds per day!
A baby panda is about the size of a stick of butter.
That’s 1/900th the size of its mama!
A female koala carries its baby in a pouch.
Just like a kangaroo!
Pandas have enlarged wrist bones.
To help better grip that bamboo.
Koalas also store leaves in their cheek pouches.
How cute! Koalas don’t drink a lot of water because they get most of their water from these leaves.
Pandas are speed-eaters.
They can gain 15% of their body weight in just 12 hours!
Koalas have opposable digits.
They’re excellent climbers.
Pandas have the same pupils as cats.
So they can see really well at night.
Koalas know how to bring up the bass.
Because their vocal folds are outside of the larynx, koalas can produce a sound 20 times lower than what would be normal for their body size.
You do the math. Which bear is the best? We think they’re both pretty cool.
(Oh, and by the way, this was a trick question. Because koalas are actually not bears!)