koala vs Taiwanese Gray Shrew

Phascolarctos cinereus compared with Crocidura tanakae

Key Differences

• koala is Vulnerable while Taiwanese Gray Shrew is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	koala	Taiwanese Gray Shrew
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)
Family	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)	Soricidae
Genus	Phascolarctos (Koalas)	Crocidura
Species	Phascolarctos cinereus	Crocidura tanakae

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Taiwanese Gray Shrew

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	koala	Taiwanese Gray Shrew
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.

Taiwanese Gray Shrew

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

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.