Blackthorn Rust vs Koala

Tranzschelia pruni-spinosae compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Key Differences

Blackthorn Rust is Not Evaluated while Koala is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Blackthorn Rust	Koala
Kingdom	Fungi (Pilze)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Ständerpilze)	Chordata (Chordatiere)
Class	Pucciniomycetes (Pucciniomycetes)	Mammalia (Säugetiere)
Order	Pucciniales (Rostpilze)	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)
Family	Tranzscheliaceae	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus	Tranzschelia	Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species	Tranzschelia pruni-spinosae	Phascolarctos cinereus

Conservation Status

Blackthorn Rust

NE — Not Evaluated

Koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Blackthorn Rust	Koala
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	75 cm
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Blackthorn Rust

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found across Asia (Taiwan) and Europe (5 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.

Blackthorn Rust

The Blackthorn Rust (Tranzschelia pruni-spinosae) is a species in the genus Tranzschelia. Found across Asia (Taiwan) and Europe (5 countries).

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.