Gersten-Hartbrand vs Koala

Ustilago hordei compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Key Differences

• Gersten-Hartbrand is Not Evaluated while Koala is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Gersten-Hartbrand	Koala
Kingdom	Fungi (Pilze)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Ständerpilze)	Chordata (Chordatiere)
Class	Ustilaginomycetes (Ustilaginomycetes)	Mammalia (Säugetiere)
Order	Ustilaginales (Brandpilzartige)	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)
Family	Ustilaginaceae	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus	Ustilago	Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species	Ustilago hordei	Phascolarctos cinereus

Conservation Status

Gersten-Hartbrand

NE — Not Evaluated

Koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Gersten-Hartbrand	Koala
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	75 cm
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Gersten-Hartbrand

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries).

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.

Gersten-Hartbrand

The Barley Covered Smut (Ustilago hordei) is a species in the genus Ustilago. Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

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.