koala vs Witham Orb Mussel

Phascolarctos cinereus compared with Sphaerium solidum

Key Differences

• koala is Vulnerable while Witham Orb Mussel is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	koala	Witham Orb Mussel
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (cordados)	Mollusca (Moluscos)
Class	Mammalia (mamíferos)	Bivalvia (Bivalvia)
Order	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)	Sphaeriida (Sphaeriida)
Family	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)	Sphaeriidae
Genus	Phascolarctos (Koalas)	Sphaerium
Species	Phascolarctos cinereus	Sphaerium solidum

Evolutionary Relationship

koala and Witham Orb Mussel share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Witham Orb Mussel

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	koala	Witham Orb Mussel
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.

Witham Orb Mussel

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found in Norway. 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.