Coastal Jackal-berry vs koala

Diospyros inhacaensis compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Key Differences

Coastal Jackal-berry is Least Concern while koala is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coastal Jackal-berry	koala
Kingdom	Plantae (растения)	Animalia (животные)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (магнолиофиты)	Chordata (хордовые)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Mammalia (млекопитающие)
Order	Ericales (Верескоцветные)	Diprotodontia (двурезцовые сумчатые)
Family	Ebenaceae	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus	Diospyros	Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species	Diospyros inhacaensis	Phascolarctos cinereus

Conservation Status

Coastal Jackal-berry

LC — Least Concern

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Coastal Jackal-berry	koala
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	75 cm
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Coastal Jackal-berry

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

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.

Coastal Jackal-berry

Diospyros inhacaensis, the coastal jackal berry, is a small to medium-sized tree in the family Ebenaceae native to the coastal forests and littoral woodland of eastern Africa, particularly along the coastlines of Mozambique and extending into Tanzania and possibly southeastern Kenya. The genus Diospyros includes the persimmons and the commercially important ebonies valued for their extremely dense, dark heartwood. Diospyros inhacaensis inhabits coastal dune forest, coral rag thicket, and the margin of mangrove swamp systems in the East African coastal zone, tolerating the saline soils and salt-laden air of the littoral environment. The species produces small, fleshy fruits that are consumed by a range of frugivorous birds and small mammals, which disperse seeds through coastal forest habitats. The common name jackal berry is applied to several Diospyros species across Africa whose fruits are consumed by jackals and other carnivores along with primary frugivores. The coastal jackal berry is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, though the coastal forests of East Africa are considered among the most threatened ecosystems in Africa, with high rates of clearing for agriculture, charcoal production, and uncontrolled urban expansion that continue to reduce this irreplaceable habitat.

koala

Iconic marsupial of eastern and southeastern Australia, koalas weigh up to 15 kg and spend up to 22 hours daily sleeping to conserve energy from their low-calorie eucalyptus leaf diet. Highly specialized to process toxic eucalyptus compounds that would kill most other mammals, they have gut microbiomes uniquely adapted for detoxification. Listed as Endangered in 2022, with populations decimated by chlamydia disease, habitat clearing, and climate change.