With Koala bears sleeping for up to 20 hours a day there is a common myth that this is because they are stoned/high. However, this is not true and there are a few reasons Koala bears sleep for so long and appear to be lethargic.
It’s also worth mentioning that Koalas are mostly active at night so when humans come into contact with Koalas they are most likely going to be sleeping or at least appear lethargic. They only tend to move during the day for necessities such as food, water, or to move from the heat.
Do Koalas get high on eucalyptus?
No, this is a common myth and whilst this tends to make up the majority of their diet with Koalas eating approximately 500 grams per day, they do not make koalas high.
However, one of the reasons Koala bears sleep as long as they do is that breaking down eucalyptus leaves requires a lot of energy as the leaves are made up of toxic molecules.
What is in a Koala bears diet?
Whilst Koala bears tend to mostly eat eucalyptus leaves, they will also eat other native trees such as Wattle, Tea Tree, paper bark, and honey-myrtles.
Although they eat other plants, according to Save The Koala, there are over 600 types of eucalypts for Koalas to choose from, so they are not short of choice.
Fun fact: The only other animals to eat eucalyptus leaves are possums and gliders.