koala vs Starry Breck Lichen

Phascolarctos cinereus compared with Buellia asterella

Key Differences

• koala is Vulnerable while Starry Breck Lichen is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	koala	Starry Breck Lichen
Kingdom	Animalia (animal)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (mammifères)	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)
Order	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)	Caliciales (Caliciales)
Family	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)	Caliciaceae
Genus	Phascolarctos (Koalas)	Buellia
Species	Phascolarctos cinereus	Buellia asterella

Conservation Status

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Starry Breck Lichen

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	koala	Starry Breck Lichen
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.

Starry Breck Lichen

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. 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.