Koalas do not eat gum trees: they eat gum tree leaves.Koalas live in eucalyptus trees and eat only a few types of gum leaves from which they get all nutrients and water requirements. They also occasionally eat the gum tree blossoms. Two of the koala's digits on their forelimbs act as opposable thumbs, enabling koalas to reach out and grasp the leaves they want.While there are hundreds of different eucalyptus species in Australia, koalas eat from only about 60 of the species, consuming about half a kilogram of eucalyptus leaves every day. Koalas select from just 14 species as their primary food source, specifically, the subgenus Symphyomyrphus. Preferred eucalyptus species vary depending on their locality, so that the species eaten by Victoria koalas will be different to those eaten by nort