Ganges shark vs koala

Glyphis gangeticus compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Key Differences

• Ganges shark is Critically Endangered while koala is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Ganges shark	koala
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Carcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks)	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)
Family	Carcharhinidae	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus	Glyphis	Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species	Glyphis gangeticus	Phascolarctos cinereus

Evolutionary Relationship

Ganges shark and koala share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Ganges shark

CR — Critically Endangered

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Ganges shark

Habitat

Typically found in marine environments from coastal waters to deep ocean.

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.

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.