Ciliate Crystalwort vs koala

Riccia crozalsii compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Ciliate Crystalwort koala
Kingdom Plantae (planta) Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Marchantiophyta (liverwort) Chordata (cordados)
Class Marchantiopsida (Marchantiopsida) Mammalia (mamíferos)
Order Marchantiales (Marchantiales) Diprotodontia (Marsupials)
Family Ricciaceae Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus Riccia Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species Riccia crozalsii Phascolarctos cinereus

Conservation Status

Ciliate Crystalwort

VU — Vulnerable

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Ciliate Crystalwort koala
Diet Herbivore
Average Lifespan 15 years
Average Length 75 cm
Average Weight 10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Ciliate Crystalwort

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, and Portugal. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its 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.

Ciliate Crystalwort

Ciliate crystalwort (Riccia crozalsii) is a thalloid liverwort in the family Ricciaceae, classified as Vulnerable in Europe. It grows as a flat, strap-like or rosette-forming thallus, typically in damp, disturbed or ephemeral habitats such as the margins of seasonal pools, rutted tracks, and temporarily flooded ground with sparse vegetation cover. The species is characterized by thallus margins fringed with fine cilia-like teeth, which give it its common name. Riccia crozalsii is found in Mediterranean and Atlantic regions of Europe, with records from Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, and parts of the British Isles, though populations are generally sparse and localized. It tends to appear in winter and spring when suitable wet conditions prevail, and the thallus desiccates or disappears during dry summer months. The species is assessed as Vulnerable due to the loss and degradation of its specialized ephemeral wetland habitats, driven by drainage, agricultural intensification, and altered hydrological regimes across Europe. As with many liverworts dependent on wet, open habitats, Riccia crozalsii has experienced declines in regions where traditional low-intensity land management practices have been abandoned. Monitoring and protection of ephemeral pool and wetland margins are key conservation actions for this species.

koala

Icónico marsupial del este y sureste de Australia, los koalas pesan hasta 15 kg y pasan hasta 22 horas diarias durmiendo para conservar energía de su dieta de hojas de eucalipto, baja en calorías. Altamente especializados para procesar los compuestos tóxicos del eucalipto que matarían a la mayoría de los demás mamíferos, poseen microbiomas intestinales únicamente adaptados para la desintoxicación. Clasificado como En Peligro en 2022, con poblaciones diezmadas por la enfermedad de clamidia, la deforestación y el cambio climático.

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