vs koala

Clitocybe augeana compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Key Differences

is Not Evaluated while koala is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		koala
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)
Family	Tricholomataceae	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus	Clitocybe	Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species	Clitocybe augeana	Phascolarctos cinereus

Conservation Status

NE — Not Evaluated

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Norway, and Sweden.

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.

Clitocybe augeana is a saprotrophic agaric fungus in the family Tricholomataceae native to Northern European forests and grasslands, with principal records from Scandinavia. It produces modest fruiting bodies with the genus-typical depressed to funnel-shaped cap, whitish to pale greyish coloration, and decurrent gills running down the stipe. Like many Clitocybe species, it emerges during autumn in habitats ranging from deciduous and mixed woodland floors to grassy clearings and forest margins, where it decomposes accumulated leaf litter and organic matter. The taxonomy of smaller, pale Clitocybe species has undergone considerable revision through molecular phylogenetic studies, with several species previously grouped together now recognized as distinct entities based on spore morphology, habitat preferences, and DNA sequence data. C. augeana contributes to the rich diversity of macrofungi documented in Scandinavian boreal and nemoral forests, ecosystems recognized for their exceptional fungal species richness and ecological importance in nutrient cycling processes.

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.