Black Lichen vs Koala

Lichina pygmaea compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Key Differences

• Black Lichen is Extinct while Koala is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black Lichen	Koala
Kingdom	Fungi (Pilze)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Schlauchpilze)	Chordata (Chordatiere)
Class	Lichinomycetes (Lichinomycetes)	Mammalia (Säugetiere)
Order	Lichinales (Lichinales)	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)
Family	Lichinaceae	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus	Lichina	Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species	Lichina pygmaea	Phascolarctos cinereus

Conservation Status

Black Lichen

EX — Extinct

Koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black Lichen	Koala
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	75 cm
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black Lichen

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden.

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.

Black Lichen

The Black Lichen (Lichina pygmaea) is a species in the genus Lichina. It is currently classified as Extinct on the IUCN Red List. Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region. Its geographic range spans Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden.

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.