vs koala

Hyphoderma orphanellum compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Key Differences

is Near Threatened 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	Polyporales (Polyporales)	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)
Family	Hyphodermataceae	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus	Hyphoderma	Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species	Hyphoderma orphanellum	Phascolarctos cinereus

Conservation Status

NT — Near Threatened

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 Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.

Hyphoderma orphanellum is a corticioid fungus in the family Polyporaceae, assessed as Near Threatened (NT). It forms thin, resupinate fruiting bodies on dead wood of broadleaf trees in mature or old-growth forest environments. Its near-threatened status reflects its sensitivity to the removal of deadwood and disturbance of old-growth forests.

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.