Collared Worm Salamander vs koala

Oedipina collaris compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Key Differences

• Collared Worm Salamander is Data Deficient while koala is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Collared Worm Salamander	koala
Kingdom same	Animalia (hewan)	Animalia (hewan)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Amphibia (Amfibia)	Mammalia (mamalia)
Order	Caudata (Salamander)	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)
Family	Plethodontidae	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus	Oedipina	Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species	Oedipina collaris	Phascolarctos cinereus

Evolutionary Relationship

Collared Worm Salamander and koala share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Collared Worm Salamander

DD — Data Deficient

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Collared Worm Salamander

Habitat

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

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.

Collared Worm Salamander

The Collared Worm Salamander, known scientifically as <em>Oedipina collaris</em>, is a slender, elongated salamander belonging to the family Plethodontidae, the lungless salamanders. <em>Oedipina collaris</em> is characterised by its worm-like body form, extremely elongated trunk with many vertebrae, short limbs, and a long tail — morphological features that adapt the species for a burrowing or semi-fossorial lifestyle. As a plethodontid salamander, <em>Oedipina collaris</em> lacks lungs and respires entirely through its moist skin, making it highly dependent on humid environments. The species inhabits freshwater habitats, moist forests, and wetlands. Detailed biological traits including typical lifespan, body length, and weight are poorly documented for this species in available literature. The Collared Worm Salamander is currently assessed as Data Deficient on the IUCN Red List, indicating that insufficient information is available to determine its conservation status accurately, and further research on the species' distribution and population trends is required.

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.