koala vs

Phascolarctos cinereus compared with Sphingopyxis granuli

Key Differences

• koala is Vulnerable while is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	koala
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Bacteria (Bacteria)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Proteobacteria (Proteobacteria)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Alphaproteobacteria (Alphaproteobacteria)
Order	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)	Sphingomonadales (Sphingomonadales)
Family	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)	Sphingomonadaceae
Genus	Phascolarctos (Koalas)	Sphingopyxis
Species	Phascolarctos cinereus	Sphingopyxis granuli

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 Asia, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found in Taiwan.

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.

Sphingopyxis granuli is a Gram-negative alphaproteobacterium in the family Sphingomonadaceae, characterized by its yellow-pigmented colonies and the presence of sphingolipids in its membrane—a trait shared across the family. It was isolated from granule-associated material and is aerobic, rod-shaped, and motile. Sphingopyxis species are common in soils, freshwater, and plant-associated environments.