vs koala

Clitocybe marginella compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Key Differences

is Data Deficient while koala is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		koala
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (animal)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Mammalia (mammifères)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)
Family	Tricholomataceae	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus	Clitocybe	Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species	Clitocybe marginella	Phascolarctos cinereus

Conservation Status

DD — Data Deficient

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

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.

Clitocybe marginella is a small agaric fungus in the family Tricholomataceae found in temperate European woodland and semi-open habitats. Like many members of the diverse Clitocybe genus, it produces modest fruiting bodies with a depressed to funnel-shaped cap and decurrent gills running down the stipe, typically whitish to pale buff in coloration. The species fruits in autumn, colonizing leaf litter, humus-rich soils, and woodland margins where it functions as a saprotrophic decomposer. The epithet marginella may reference subtle marginal features of the cap or gills that help distinguish it from closely related species. Identification within this genus typically requires microscopic examination of spore size and shape, along with assessment of odor, taste, and substrate preferences. European Clitocybe diversity is significant, with dozens of species recorded across forest, grassland, and heathland habitats. C. marginella contributes to the intricate web of decomposer fungi that recycle nutrients in temperate forest ecosystems throughout Northwestern and Central Europe.

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.