Common Nut Truffle vs koala

Hymenogaster vulgaris compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Key Differences

Common Nut Truffle is Data Deficient while koala is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Nut Truffle	koala
Kingdom	Fungi (균계)	Animalia (동물)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (담자균류)	Chordata (척삭동물)
Class	Agaricomycetes (주름버섯강)	Mammalia (포유류)
Order	Agaricales (주름버섯목)	Diprotodontia (캥거루목)
Family	Hymenogastraceae	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus	Hymenogaster	Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species	Hymenogaster vulgaris	Phascolarctos cinereus

Conservation Status

Common Nut Truffle

DD — Data Deficient

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Nut Truffle	koala
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	75 cm
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Nut Truffle

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and United States.

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.

Common Nut Truffle

Hymenogaster vulgaris, the common nut truffle, is a hypogeous (below-ground) fungus in the family Hymenogastraceae, order Agaricales. This sequestrate species produces enclosed, truffle-like fruiting bodies that mature underground and rely primarily on small mammals and invertebrates for spore dispersal, as the sporocarps never open to release spores aerially. Hymenogaster vulgaris typically forms ectomycorrhizal associations with hardwood tree species, particularly oaks and beeches, in temperate European forests. Its geographic range includes Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and the United States, reflecting a somewhat scattered distribution across temperate zones. The species is currently assessed as Data Deficient by the IUCN, indicating that insufficient information exists to evaluate its conservation status, likely because hypogeous fungi are difficult to survey and their population trends are poorly known. Biological traits such as lifespan, body size, and diet remain poorly documented for this species. As an ectomycorrhizal fungus, Hymenogaster vulgaris plays a critical role in facilitating nutrient uptake in host trees and supporting forest health across its temperate range.

koala

호주 동부와 동남부의 상징적인 유대류로, 체중이 최대 15kg이며 저칼로리인 유칼립투스 잎 식단에서 에너지를 절약하기 위해 하루 최대 22시간을 잠으로 보낸다. 대부분의 다른 포유류를 죽일 수 있는 유독한 유칼립투스 성분을 처리하도록 고도로 특화되어, 해독에 특별히 적응된 장내 미생물총을 지닌다. 2022년 기후 변화, 서식지 개발, 클라미디아 감염으로 인한 개체수 감소로 위기종으로 지정되었다.