vs koala

Fuscopannaria mediterranea compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Key Differences

is Near Threatened while koala is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		koala
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (animal)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Mammalia (mammifères)
Order	Peltigerales (Peltigerales)	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)
Family	Pannariaceae	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus	Fuscopannaria	Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species	Fuscopannaria mediterranea	Phascolarctos cinereus

Conservation Status

NT — Near Threatened

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

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway, Portugal, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.

Fuscopannaria mediterranea is a small foliose to squamulose lichen forming dark brownish-grey lobes on bark, mosses, and soil in Mediterranean and sub-Mediterranean habitats. It is found across southern Europe and associated regions, particularly in humid woodland and macchia ecosystems. Near Threatened, it faces pressure from habitat degradation, overgrazing, and changes in land use in its southern European range.

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.