koala vs Polkadot Poison Frog

Phascolarctos cinereus compared with Oophaga arborea

Key Differences

• koala is Vulnerable while Polkadot Poison Frog is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	koala	Polkadot Poison Frog
Kingdom same	Animalia (animal)	Animalia (animal)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (mammifères)	Amphibia (amphibien)
Order	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)	Anura (anoures)
Family	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)	Dendrobatidae (Poison Dart Frogs)
Genus	Phascolarctos (Koalas)	Oophaga
Species	Phascolarctos cinereus	Oophaga arborea

Evolutionary Relationship

koala and Polkadot Poison Frog share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Polkadot Poison Frog

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	koala	Polkadot Poison Frog
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.

Polkadot Poison Frog

Habitat

Typically found in freshwater habitats, moist forests, and wetlands.

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.