After leaving the pouch, joeys enter a new phase of development known as the Back Young stage. At first, they stick close, nestled in their mother’s lap. To stay safe they clutch to her belly as she moves through the trees. This period of close contact is brief as joeys grow fast. Thus, soon enough, they begin riding high on mum’s. From here they have a mobile vantage point from which to observe, learn, and grow.
The Back Young stage can last until the joey is nearly a year old. They emerge from the pouch at six – seven months of age. During this time the frequency of back rides gradually lessens. Through holding tight joey becomes stronger. They begin to move about on their own as well and become more independent. As the weeks pass, they spends less time hitching a ride and more time exploring and learning about their environment.
One key milestone in this transition is weight. Once the young koala reaches about two kilograms, the mother instinctively knows it’s time for her joey to become independent. This weight varies on the region, in Southern areas of Australia, joey will stay with mum until they are larger. However, in all areas, the weight that trigger independence is reached around 12-14 months of age.
Katrina says:
Join the Colony and get involved
Koalas who stay around at Koala Gardens end up in lots of photos and videos. Read more about them here
You can become part of the Koala Gardens Colony by adopting any of the wild koalas here. You can also become a Patron, and one level has an adoption option.
Come and discuss Koala Gardens and all things koala on Discord where we hold lots of interesting and often in-depth discussions there. Lots of fun!
You will become part of the family and help provide much needed koala habitat.
You can also follow Katrina and the Koalas on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Koala Gardens publishes a small number of delightful illustrated children’s books in the The Adventures of Mist series. Check out the beautifully engaging and educational design. Our mission is to help children to “Fall in love with Nature”.
You can even find some great Koala Gardens gifts over at Redbubble where there is huge range of designs on an even bigger range of items.
Alternatively, you can find quick access links to everything Koala Gardens via Link Tree.
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