koala vs

Phascolarctos cinereus compared with Schizothrix calcicola

Key Differences

• koala is Vulnerable while is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	koala
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Bacteria (Bacteria)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Cyanobacteria (Cyanobacteria)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Cyanobacteriia
Order	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)	Leptolyngbyales (Leptolyngbyales)
Family	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)	Trichocoleusaceae
Genus	Phascolarctos (Koalas)	Schizothrix
Species	Phascolarctos cinereus	Schizothrix calcicola

Conservation Status

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

NE — Not Evaluated

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 and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway, Sweden, and United States.

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.

Schizothrix calcicola is a filamentous cyanobacterium known for forming dense, calcareous crusts on rocks and soils in various terrestrial and aquatic habitats. It contains multiple trichomes within a common, multilayered sheath, contributing to biofilm and biocrust formation. Its conservation status is not evaluated.