Bornean orangutan vs koala

Pongo pygmaeus compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Key Differences

• Bornean orangutan is Critically Endangered while koala is Vulnerable.
• Bornean orangutan is omnivore while koala is herbivore.
• Bornean orangutan is 7.5x heavier than koala.
• Bornean orangutan lives longer (35 years vs 15 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bornean orangutan	koala
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Primates (Primates)	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)
Family	Hominidae (Great Apes)	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus	Pongo (Orangutans)	Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species	Pongo pygmaeus	Phascolarctos cinereus

Evolutionary Relationship

Bornean orangutan and koala share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

Bornean orangutan

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~104.7K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bornean orangutan	koala
Diet	Omnivore	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	35 years	15 years
Average Length	1.4 m	75 cm
Average Weight	75.0 kg	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bornean orangutan

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 5 distinct biome types spanning the Australasia and Indomalayan realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Indonesia and Malaysia. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its 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.

Bornean orangutan

The world's largest arboreal mammal, Bornean orangutans weigh up to 90 kg and spend most of their lives in the rainforest canopy of Borneo. Solitary and semi-nomadic, they build nightly sleeping nests in trees and forage for fruit, leaves, and invertebrates. Critically Endangered, with populations having declined by over 50% in the past 60 years due to deforestation from palm oil expansion and illegal hunting.

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.