koala vs Lesser Featherwort

Phascolarctos cinereus compared with Plagiochila porelloides

Key Differences

• koala is Vulnerable while Lesser Featherwort is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	koala	Lesser Featherwort
Kingdom	Animalia (animal)	Plantae (plante)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Marchantiophyta (liverwort)
Class	Mammalia (mammifères)	Jungermanniopsida (Jungermanniopsida)
Order	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)	Jungermanniales (Jungermanniales)
Family	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)	Plagiochilaceae
Genus	Phascolarctos (Koalas)	Plagiochila
Species	Phascolarctos cinereus	Plagiochila porelloides

Conservation Status

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Lesser Featherwort

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	koala	Lesser Featherwort
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.

Lesser Featherwort

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests within the Indomalayan biogeographic realm.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), and North America (United States). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its 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.