Alpine Silk-moss vs koala

Plagiothecium platyphyllum compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Key Differences

Alpine Silk-moss is Near Threatened while koala is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alpine Silk-moss	koala
Kingdom	Plantae (พืช)	Animalia (สัตว์)
Phylum	Bryophyta	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)
Class	Bryopsida (Bryopsida)	Mammalia (สัตว์เลี้ยงลูกด้วยน้ำนม)
Order	Hypnales (Hypnales)	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)
Family	Plagiotheciaceae	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus	Plagiothecium	Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species	Plagiothecium platyphyllum	Phascolarctos cinereus

Conservation Status

Alpine Silk-moss

NT — Near Threatened

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alpine Silk-moss	koala
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	75 cm
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Alpine Silk-moss

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.

Alpine Silk-moss

The Alpine Silk-moss (Plagiothecium platyphyllum) is a species in the genus Plagiothecium. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region. Distributed across Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.