Koala vs Pacific white-sided dolphin

Phascolarctos cinereus compared with Lagenorhynchus obliquidens

Key Differences

• Koala is Vulnerable while Pacific white-sided dolphin is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Koala	Pacific white-sided dolphin
Kingdom same	Animalia (Tier)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordatiere)	Chordata (Chordatiere)
Class same	Mammalia (Säugetiere)	Mammalia (Säugetiere)
Order	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)	Delphinidae (Oceanic Dolphins)
Genus	Phascolarctos (Koalas)	Lagenorhynchus
Species	Phascolarctos cinereus	Lagenorhynchus obliquidens

Evolutionary Relationship

Koala and Pacific white-sided dolphin share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Säugetiere)

Conservation Status

Koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Pacific white-sided dolphin

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Koala	Pacific white-sided dolphin
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.

Pacific white-sided dolphin

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

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.