Common gum cistus vs koala

Cistus ladanifer compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Key Differences

Common gum cistus is Not Evaluated while koala is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common gum cistus	koala
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Malvales (Malvales)	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)
Family	Cistaceae	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus	Cistus	Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species	Cistus ladanifer	Phascolarctos cinereus

Conservation Status

Common gum cistus

NE — Not Evaluated

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common gum cistus

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across Cyprus, Italy, Portugal, South Africa, and United States.

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.

Common gum cistus

The common gum cistus, <em>Cistus ladanifer</em>, is a flowering shrub belonging to the family Cistaceae. It is typically found across a broad range of countries including Cyprus, Italy, Portugal, South Africa, and the United States, reflecting both its native distribution and introduced occurrences. Native primarily to the Iberian Peninsula and the Mediterranean region, this species is well known for producing labdanum, an aromatic resin used in perfumery. <em>Cistus ladanifer</em> typically grows in dry, rocky, or sandy soils in scrubland and garrigue habitats, where it can form dense thickets. Its large white flowers with a distinctive dark spot at the base of each petal are a recognizable feature. No dietary information has been provided for this species. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

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.