vs koala

Clitocybe subalutacea compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Key Differences

is Data Deficient while koala is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		koala
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (cordados)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Mammalia (mamíferos)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)
Family	Tricholomataceae	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus	Clitocybe	Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species	Clitocybe subalutacea	Phascolarctos cinereus

Conservation Status

DD — Data Deficient

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

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

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.

Clitocybe subalutacea is a pale, leather-colored agaric fungus in the family Tricholomataceae found across temperate European woodlands and semi-open habitats. The species epithet subalutacea derives from Latin for 'somewhat leather-colored,' referencing the cap's pale tan to buff coloration distinguishing it from more purely white or grey species in the genus. It fruits in autumn among leaf litter in deciduous and mixed forests, occasionally in grassy woodland clearings, acting as a saprotrophic decomposer of accumulated organic matter. The fruiting body structure is characteristic of Clitocybe: a shallowly depressed to funnel-shaped cap, crowded decurrent gills, and a slender cylindrical stipe. Microscopic spore morphology and chemical reactions assist in confirming identity in this taxonomically complex genus. Like most Clitocybe species, C. subalutacea contributes to decomposer communities in temperate forests, where the collective activity of many fungal species drives litter breakdown and nutrient release, underpinning forest productivity and soil health across European woodland ecosystems.

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.