# bear fingerprints

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bear-fingerprints/107521>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 6, 2002, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bear-fingerprints/107521 "2002-05-06T10:46:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![erik\_vestville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df788c/32.png) [@erik\_vestville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erik_vestville)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bear-fingerprints/107521/1 "2002-05-06T10:46:05Z")

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Is it true that Koala bears have fingerprints very similar to ours  
and are the only non-human creature to do so? What is it about fingerprints anyway? Are there folks out there who can read fingerprints like palmreaders read palms? My father in law of yore was one of a rare breed whose finger markings and therefore prints changed over time. A criminal’s dream. (Not a criminal, he, though.)  
Any thouhgts about this?

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**Author:** ![Why\_A\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Why\_A\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_A_Duck)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bear-fingerprints/107521/2 "2002-05-06T12:08:09Z")

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I’d hate to just bump this thread, so I’ll smarmily point out that Koala’s aren’t actually bears. They’re technically marsupials.

Carry on.

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**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bear-fingerprints/107521/3 "2002-05-06T13:55:34Z")

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That would explain the high conviction rate for eucalyptus theft.

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bear-fingerprints/107521/4 "2002-05-06T15:01:09Z")

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1. Yes, [koalas have fingerprints](http://naturalscience.com/ns/articles/01-04/ns_hll.html) rather similar to those of humans. However, the ridges are only on the tips of the digits, not on the whole length of the finger/toe and on the palm/sole as in humans.

2. No, they are not the only non-human creature that has them. Fingerprints are typical of other higher primates, and are found in a variety of other climbing mammals, including at least one other marsupial besides the koala.

Some primates with prehensile tails even have “tailprints.”

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**Author:** ![erik\_vestville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df788c/32.png) [@erik\_vestville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erik_vestville)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bear-fingerprints/107521/5 "2002-05-06T18:17:28Z")

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Thanks for your thorough and informative reply.