vs koala

Kariarchaeum pelagius compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Key Differences

• is Not Evaluated while koala is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		koala
Kingdom	Archaea (Archaea)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Asgardarchaeota (Asgardarchaeota)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Heimdallarchaeia (Heimdallarchaeia)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	UBA460	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)
Family	Kariarchaeaceae	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus	Kariarchaeum	Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species	Kariarchaeum pelagius	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

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.

Kariarchaeum pelagius is a member of the DPANN archaea group, representing ultra-small, genomically streamlined organisms found in pelagic marine environments. Like other DPANN archaea, it likely relies on metabolic partnerships with other microorganisms due to its reduced biosynthetic capabilities. Its discovery in open ocean waters extended knowledge of DPANN archaeal diversity beyond sediment and acidic environments.

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.