What Is a Group of Koalas Called? Spoiler: There Isn't One

This koala seems completely unbothered by its lack of collective noun. Saqlainphotographer / Shutterstock

Koalas are iconic Australian animals, but people often pause when asked, "What is a group of koalas called?" The short answer is that there is no widely accepted official collective noun for koalas.

That surprises many readers because we love tidy labels for animals, like "a murder of crows" or "a pod of dolphins."

Koalas resist that kind of neat packaging for good biological reasons.

Contents

There Is No Official Collective Noun for Koalas
Koalas Are Fairly Solitary Creatures by Nature
Why You Might See Several Koalas Together
How Koalas Interact When They Do Meet
Common Misconceptions

There Is No Official Collective Noun for Koalas

Unlike birds or penguins that gather in obvious clusters, koalas do not have an official term like herd, pack, or flock. Scientists and wildlife managers typically describe several koalas simply as "a group of koalas." That makes koalas unusual but not unique among mammals.

Early settlers in Australia sometimes borrowed terms like colony, and the word is sometimes used in scientific literature and wildlife-management contexts. Today, researchers focus less on naming the group and more on how koalas actually live.

Koalas Are Fairly Solitary Creatures by Nature

Koalas are fairly solitary creatures, meaning they spend most of their time alone, living independently rather than forming tight social groups. This solitary animal's lifestyle explains why a collective noun never really developed.

Each adult koala maintains its own home ranges in bushland and trees. These ranges can overlap with other koalas, but that overlap does not mean they form a social group in the way dogs or dolphins do.

Why You Might See Several Koalas Together

If you spot several koalas in the same area, it usually comes down to resources. Koalas live where eucalyptus leaves are abundant because their eucalyptus diet provides most of their food and most of their water.

When good trees are clustered, koalas moving through the habitat may appear grouped. They tolerate other koalas nearby, but they do not cuddle or interact much outside of breeding.

How Koalas Interact When They Do Meet

Interactions are brief and purposeful. A male koala may seek out females during the breeding season, while a mother carries her baby koala (also called a joey) in her pouch for about six months.

Outside of that, contact is limited.

Research from the Australian National University shows that koalas can have overlapping home ranges over time. These relationships are largely about familiarity.

Common Misconceptions

People sometimes use phrases like "koala colonies" or "group of koala bears," but "koala bear" neither is technically accurate. Koalas are marsupials, not bears, and colonies imply living in close association.

When scientists talk about koala populations, they mean koalas living in a defined area. Population describes numbers and conservation status, not social behavior.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.