koala vs Witham Orb Mussel

Phascolarctos cinereus compared with Sphaerium solidum

Key Differences

• koala is Vulnerable while Witham Orb Mussel is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	koala	Witham Orb Mussel
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (cordados)	Mollusca (moluscos)
Class	Mammalia (mamíferos)	Bivalvia (Bivalvia)
Order	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)	Sphaeriida (Sphaeriida)
Family	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)	Sphaeriidae
Genus	Phascolarctos (Koalas)	Sphaerium
Species	Phascolarctos cinereus	Sphaerium solidum

Evolutionary Relationship

koala and Witham Orb Mussel share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Witham Orb Mussel

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	koala	Witham Orb Mussel
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.

Witham Orb Mussel

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found in Norway. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.