koala vs

Phascolarctos cinereus compared with Pertusaria pupillaris

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	koala
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)
Order	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)	Pertusariales (Pertusariales)
Family	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)	Pertusariaceae
Genus	Phascolarctos (Koalas)	Pertusaria
Species	Phascolarctos cinereus	Pertusaria pupillaris

Conservation Status

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

VU — Vulnerable

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

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden. 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.

Pertusaria pupillaris is a crustose lichen in the family Pertusariaceae, assessed as Vulnerable (VU) under conservation criteria. It grows on bark and wood in old-growth forest habitats that are increasingly threatened by logging and land use change. This species is sensitive to air pollution and habitat disturbance, contributing to its threatened status.