vs koala

Clostridium tertium compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Key Differences

is Not Evaluated while koala is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		koala
Kingdom	Bacteria (Bacteria)	Animalia (動物)
Phylum	Firmicutes_A	Chordata (脊索動物)
Class	Clostridia (クロストリジア)	Mammalia (哺乳類)
Order	Clostridiales (クロストリジウム目)	Diprotodontia (カンガルー目)
Family	Clostridiaceae	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus	Clostridium	Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species	Clostridium tertium	Phascolarctos cinereus

Conservation Status

NE — Not Evaluated

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 Asia, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found in Taiwan.

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.

Clostridium tertium is an aerotolerant, endospore-forming bacterium in the family Clostridiaceae notable among clostridia for its ability to grow in the presence of atmospheric oxygen, despite being classified within the genus of strictly anaerobic organisms. Its relative aerotolerance distinguishes it from most genus members and contributes to its occasional isolation from clinical sources. C. tertium is considered an opportunistic pathogen, causing bacteremia primarily in immunocompromised patients including those undergoing chemotherapy, with neutropenia as a key risk factor. The bacterium has been isolated from soil, water, and the gastrointestinal tract of animals and humans. Despite causing bacteremia and occasionally more invasive infections, C. tertium does not produce recognized exotoxins comparable to the major histotoxic clostridia, and its pathogenic mechanisms involve host immune evasion rather than direct toxin-mediated tissue destruction. Clinically, C. tertium bacteremia carries significant mortality in neutropenic patients but responds to beta-lactam antibiotics unlike C. difficile or C. perfringens infections. Its natural aerotolerance makes it unusual within the Clostridium genus and raises evolutionary questions about the anaerobic ancestry of this lineage.

koala

オーストラリア東部・南東部を代表する有袋類で、体重は最大15kgに達し、低カロリーのユーカリの葉食から得るエネルギーを節約するために1日最大22時間を睡眠に費やす。他の哺乳類の多くを死に至らしめる有毒なユーカリ成分を処理するために高度に特化しており、解毒に特別に適応した腸内微生物叢を持つ。クラミジア感染症、生息地の伐採、気候変動により個体数が激減し、2022年に絶滅危惧種に指定された。