Caterpillar Fungus vs koala

Ophiocordyceps sinensis compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Caterpillar Fungus	koala
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (animal)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Sordariomycetes (Sordariomycetes)	Mammalia (mammifères)
Order	Hypocreales (Hypocreales)	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)
Family	Ophiocordycipitaceae	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus	Ophiocordyceps	Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species	Ophiocordyceps sinensis	Phascolarctos cinereus

Conservation Status

Caterpillar Fungus

VU — Vulnerable

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Caterpillar Fungus	koala
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	75 cm
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Caterpillar Fungus

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.

Caterpillar Fungus

The Caterpillar Fungus (Ophiocordyceps sinensis) is a species in the genus Ophiocordyceps. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

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.