Koala vs Yellow Map Lichen

Phascolarctos cinereus compared with Rhizocarpon geographicum

Key Differences

• Koala is Vulnerable while Yellow Map Lichen is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Koala	Yellow Map Lichen
Kingdom	Animalia (Tier)	Fungi (Pilze)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordatiere)	Ascomycota (Schlauchpilze)
Class	Mammalia (Säugetiere)	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)
Order	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)	Rhizocarpales (Rhizocarpales)
Family	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)	Rhizocarpaceae
Genus	Phascolarctos (Koalas)	Rhizocarpon
Species	Phascolarctos cinereus	Rhizocarpon geographicum

Conservation Status

Koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Yellow Map Lichen

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Koala	Yellow Map Lichen
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.

Yellow Map Lichen

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia).

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.