Bastard Nodding Thistle vs koala

Carduus acanthoides compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Key Differences

Bastard Nodding Thistle is Near Threatened while koala is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bastard Nodding Thistle	koala
Kingdom	Plantae (plantas)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (cordados)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Mammalia (mamíferos)
Order	Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)
Family	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus	Carduus	Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species	Carduus acanthoides	Phascolarctos cinereus

Conservation Status

Bastard Nodding Thistle

NT — Near Threatened

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bastard Nodding Thistle	koala
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	75 cm
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bastard Nodding Thistle

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, tundra, and tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, among 8 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (4 countries), Europe (18 countries), North America (Canada, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand), and South America (Argentina). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.

Bastard Nodding Thistle

The Bastard Nodding Thistle (Carduus acanthoides) is a species in the genus Carduus. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, tundra, and tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, among 8 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments.

koala

Icônico marsupial do leste e sudeste da Austrália, os coalas pesam até 15 kg e passam até 22 horas diárias dormindo para conservar energia de sua dieta de folhas de eucalipto, com baixo teor calórico. Altamente especializados para processar os compostos tóxicos do eucalipto que matariam a maioria dos outros mamíferos, possuem microbiomas intestinais unicamente adaptados para a destoxificação. Classificado como Em Perigo em 2022, com populações dizimadas pela doença de clamídia, desmatamento e mudanças climáticas.