vs koala

Comatricha ellae compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Key Differences

  • is Not Evaluated while koala is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank koala
Kingdom Protozoa (простейшие) Animalia (животные)
Phylum Mycetozoa Chordata (хордовые)
Class Myxomycetes (Myxomycetes) Mammalia (млекопитающие)
Order Stemonitidales Diprotodontia (двурезцовые сумчатые)
Family Stemonitidaceae Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus Comatricha Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species Comatricha ellae Phascolarctos cinereus

Conservation Status

NE — Not Evaluated

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

Native to Europe and South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Brazil, 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.

<em>Comatricha ellae</em> is a plasmodial slime mold in the class Myxomycetes, order Stemonitidales, belonging to the diverse genus <em>Comatricha</em>. Members of this genus are characterized by their stalked sporangia with a persistent stalk and an elaborate internal capillitial network that aids in spore dispersal. <em>C. ellae</em> has been recorded from Europe and South America, growing on decomposing wood, bark, and other plant debris in moist forest environments. The feeding stage of the organism is a multinucleate plasmodium that migrates across substrates and engulfs microorganisms and organic particles. Upon maturation, the plasmodium aggregates and differentiates into sporangia that release airborne spores. As with other myxomycetes, the species lacks conventional biological traits such as body length or mass, and no quantitative metrics are available. It is not evaluated on the IUCN Red List.

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.

Nature FYI Family

Explore more of the natural world across our sister sites.

Part of the Nature FYI family — FYIPedia