Page "Koala" Paragraph 20

Young remain hidden in the pouch for about six months, feeding on only milk.

During this time they grow ears, eyes, and fur.

The joey then begins to explore outside of the pouch.

At about this stage it begins to consume small quantities of the mother ’ s " pap " ( formerly thought to be excrement, but now thought to come from the mother's cecum ) in order to inoculate its gut with the microbes necessary to digest eucalypt leaves.

The joey will remain with its mother for another six months or so, riding on her back, and feeding on both milk and eucalypt leaves until weaning is complete at about 12 months of age.

Young females disperse to nearby areas at that time ; young males often stay in the mother's home range until they are two or three years old.