Elm Leech vs koala

Hypsizygus ulmarius compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Key Differences

• Elm Leech is Critically Endangered while koala is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Elm Leech	koala
Kingdom	Fungi (грибы)	Animalia (животные)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (базидиомицеты)	Chordata (хордовые)
Class	Agaricomycetes (агарикомицеты)	Mammalia (млекопитающие)
Order	Agaricales (агариковые)	Diprotodontia (двурезцовые сумчатые)
Family	Lyophyllaceae	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus	Hypsizygus	Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species	Hypsizygus ulmarius	Phascolarctos cinereus

Conservation Status

Elm Leech

CR — Critically Endangered

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Elm Leech	koala
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	75 cm
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Elm Leech

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests within the Indomalayan biogeographic realm.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), and North America (United States). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its 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.

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.