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Koalas are often called ‘koala bears’, probably because they look so cute and cuddly and resemble teddy bears. These animals weigh anywhere from 9 to 29 pounds, and they’re about 2 feet tall. While they do have a close resemblance to small bear cubs, koalas aren’t bears at all. Koalas are actually marsupials and are more closely related to Australia’s kangaroos and wombats. Marsupials have pouches to carry their offspring during early development stages. A baby koala, also known as a joey, is born blind and earless. It grows in the mother’s pouch for about six months. After that, the joey rides around on its mother’s back for another six months, using its mothers pouch to continue to feed during this time. Joeys are completely blind at birth, and their eyesight doesn’t improve too much as they mature. Overall, koalas have poor vision. They aren’t entirely blind, but their long-range sight is low. Because of this, these marsupials rely more on other senses to navigate their daily lives. To compensate for their eyesight, koalas have incredible hearing, which helps them stay ahead of predators and other koalas. They also have a great sense of smell they use to find food and detect koalas nearby. Interestingly, male koalas have scent glands on their chests that they use to mark trees and attract mates. They rub their chests up and down trees, which releases a strong, musky oil to mark their territory.