koala vs soft shield-fern

Phascolarctos cinereus compared with Polystichum setiferum

Key Differences

• koala is Vulnerable while soft shield-fern is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	koala	soft shield-fern
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (plantas)
Phylum	Chordata (cordados)	Tracheophyta
Class	Mammalia (mamíferos)	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)
Order	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)	Polypodiales (Polypodiales)
Family	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)	Dryopteridaceae
Genus	Phascolarctos (Koalas)	Polystichum
Species	Phascolarctos cinereus	Polystichum setiferum

Conservation Status

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

soft shield-fern

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	koala	soft shield-fern
Diet	Herbivore	—
Average Lifespan	15 years	—
Average Length	75 cm	—
Average Weight	10.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

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.

soft shield-fern

Habitat

Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.