koala vs

Phascolarctos cinereus compared with Lichenomphalia velutina

Key Differences

• koala is Vulnerable while is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

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

Conservation Status

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

NT — Near Threatened

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.

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

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.

Lichenomphalia velutina is a lichen-forming basidiomycete with a granular, algae-containing thallus and small, tan to yellowish-buff mushroom-like fruiting bodies. It inhabits mossy, peaty soils and acidic wet habitats in boreal and montane environments across northern Europe and North America. This unusual organism combines lichenization with mushroom production to obtain nutrients.