koala vs sambar

Phascolarctos cinereus compared with Rusa unicolor

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	koala	sambar
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)	Artiodactyla (Even-toed Ungulates)
Family	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)	Cervidae (Deer)
Genus	Phascolarctos (Koalas)	Rusa
Species	Phascolarctos cinereus	Rusa unicolor

Evolutionary Relationship

koala and sambar share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

sambar

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	koala	sambar
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.

sambar

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Distributed across Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, South Africa, and United States. 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.