koala vs Orange Earthtongue

Phascolarctos cinereus compared with Microglossum rufum

Key Differences

• koala is Vulnerable while Orange Earthtongue is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	koala	Orange Earthtongue
Kingdom	Animalia (حيوانات)	Fungi (فطر)
Phylum	Chordata (حبليات)	Ascomycota (فطريات زقية)
Class	Mammalia (ثدييات)	Leotiomycetes (ملاسانية)
Order	Diprotodontia (ثنائيات الأسنان الأمامية)	Leotiales (Leotiales)
Family	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)	Leotiaceae
Genus	Phascolarctos (Koalas)	Microglossum
Species	Phascolarctos cinereus	Microglossum rufum

Conservation Status

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Orange Earthtongue

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	koala	Orange Earthtongue
Diet	Herbivore	—
Average Lifespan	15 years	—
Average Length	75 cm	—
Average Weight	10.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

koala

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, forests, and vegetated habitats.

Range

Found in Australia. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Orange Earthtongue

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway and United States.

koala

Iconic marsupial of eastern and southeastern Australia, koalas weigh up to 15 kg and spend up to 22 hours daily sleeping to conserve energy from their low-calorie eucalyptus leaf diet. Highly specialized to process toxic eucalyptus compounds that would kill most other mammals, they have gut microbiomes uniquely adapted for detoxification. Listed as Endangered in 2022, with populations decimated by chlamydia disease, habitat clearing, and climate change.