what type of animal is a koala

A koala is a marsupial, which is a type of mammal. It is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia and belongs to its own family called Phascolarctidae. The koala is closely related to wombats and is often mistakenly called a "koala bear" despite not being a bear. It has a pouch for the development of its young, which is characteristic of marsupials.