A Baby Koala is called Joey

“Joey” is a specific term that is used to state a koala offspring or a koala baby. Therefore; a baby koala is called a joey. However; the term Joey is not particularly associated with the koala babies only but in fact all the marsupial babies are also known as the joeys. For example babies of kangaroos, opossums, wombats, red kangaroos etc. are also termed as the joeys.

A baby koala is called a "Koala Joey" while "Joey" is a common term for the babies of all the marsupial animals from Australia.

This further means that a complete term to specifically state a koala baby is not just a joey but a koala joey. Moreover; stating just a joey will make things confused and it will not confirm which marsupial animal you are referring to and the overall concept will become a bit vague.

Baby Koala
Koala Joey Kangaroo Baby
Kangaroo Joey Baby Wombat
Wombat Joey Oppossum Baby
Oppossum Joey Marsupial Animal Babies
Joeys

Why the baby koalas and the other baby marsupials are called the joeys? The term “Joey” is specifically reserved for the animal babies that are native to Australian natural habitat. Koalas are native to Australian natural habitat, therefore; their babies are also called the joeys.

The term "Joey" is specifically reserved for the animals that natively belong to Australian natural habitat.

However; the exact origin of this word “Joey” is still not known. It is commonly believed that the word “Joey” also belongs to the Australian aboriginal languages. Kangaroo babies are believed to be one of the first babies to be called as “joeys” by the historians in their books. Koalas on the other hand were discovered very late because of their shy personality, tree climbing behavior and to a greater extent sloth like lifestyle. Today; koalas are considered as the most popular animals across the continent of Australia.

Term "Joey"
Animal Babies from Australia Origin of "Joey"
Not Known The Term "Joey"
Australian Aboriginal Language Earliest Joeys
Kangaroo Babies Koala Joeys
Most Popular Across Australia

Normally; a koala baby remains a joey as long as it stays with its mother. Even a relatively bigger koala staying with its mother is also called a joey. When a koala joey becomes a bit bigger it usually stays at the back of her mother by grabbing her fur.

A baby Koala as called a Joey as long as it stays with its mother. As soon as it leaves its mother after growing up; it is no longer called a Joey.

At this time a koala joey does not prefer to stay in the pouch which is too small for this grown-up koala joey. As soon as a koala joey leaves its mother at the age of almost 1 year; it is no longer called a joey. It is termed as an adult koala. Therefore; a baby koala remains a joey for the first 365 days of its life.

A Koala Joey
Is Called a Joey As Long as it Stays with its Mother. A Relatively Bigger Koala
Is also a Joey; if it Stays with Mother. Bigger Koala Joeys
Stay Outside the Pouch A Koala Joey Remains a Joey
for 365 Days (1 Year) Period

A new born koala joey stays completely inside the pouch of its mother for almost 32 weeks. At this stage its whole body is under-developed and it goes through a basic development process. This is the most sensitive stage for a joey because without the pouch it cannot survive in the outer world.

A baby Koala Joey comes out of its mother pouch after 32 weeks. Before 32 weeks it entirely stays inside the pouch and is even non-visible.

Consequently; a new born joey is not visible for the 32 weeks of its life while onwards it starts exploring the world from the pouch and when it gains more strength it even comes out of the pouch and moves around the tree for food.

Koala Joey in Pouch
32 Weeks Without Pouch
A Koala Joey cannot Survive Koala Joey's Basic Body Development
32 Weeks 32 Weeks +
A Koala Joey Explores Outside World

Occasionally; koala twins are also born as well. In principle they should be called as the “Twin Koala Joeys”. However; it has been observed that they are termed as koala twins only rather than the “Twin Koala Joeys”. Therefore; in the case a mother koala gives birth to more than one joey, they are usually termed as koala twins, koala triplets or koala quadruplets etc.

When a Koala mother gives birth to twins, they are called as "Koala Twins" and the word joey is usually excluded by the authors.

Remember this is a very rare scenario because koala mothers only give birth to a single joey normally and we have found only 5 instances from past few years, where a koala mother has given birth to the koala twins and the author has explained them as koala twins rather than the koala twin joeys.

2 Koala Joeys
Koala Twins 3 Koala Joeys
Koala Triplets 4 Koala Joeys
Koala Quadruplets Koala Twins
Koala Twins are very rare while triplets and quadruplets have never been witnessed.

A baby koala joey is one of the smallest of the newborn offspring amongst all the mammals. According to the experts; a baby koala is hardly 2 centimeter in length at the time of its birth. Even though this little joey is very small and under-developed; it still has the sense to move straight into the pouch of its mother.

A baby koala joey is almost 2 cetimeters in size at the time of its birth. Therefore; the koala joeys are one of the smallest offsprings among mammals' fmaily.