Koala vs Superb Cyanea

Phascolarctos cinereus compared with Cyanea superba

Key Differences

• Koala is Vulnerable while Superb Cyanea is Extinct in the Wild.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Koala	Superb Cyanea
Kingdom same	Animalia (Tier)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordatiere)	Cnidaria (Nesseltiere)
Class	Mammalia (Säugetiere)	Scyphozoa (Schirmquallen)
Order	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)	Semaeostomeae (Fahnenquallen)
Family	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)	Cyaneidae
Genus	Phascolarctos (Koalas)	Cyanea
Species	Phascolarctos cinereus	Cyanea superba

Evolutionary Relationship

Koala and Superb Cyanea share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Tier)

Conservation Status

Koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Superb Cyanea

EW — Extinct in the Wild

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Koala	Superb Cyanea
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.

Superb Cyanea

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.