Koala vs Kleine Flußmuschel

Phascolarctos cinereus compared with Unio crassus

Key Differences

• Koala is Vulnerable while Kleine Flußmuschel is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Koala	Kleine Flußmuschel
Kingdom same	Animalia (Tier)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordatiere)	Mollusca (Weichtiere)
Class	Mammalia (Säugetiere)	Bivalvia (Muscheln)
Order	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)	Unionida (Unionida)
Family	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)	Unionidae
Genus	Phascolarctos (Koalas)	Unio
Species	Phascolarctos cinereus	Unio crassus

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Kleine Flußmuschel

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Koala	Kleine Flußmuschel
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.

Kleine Flußmuschel

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Ukraine. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.