Common Frillwort vs koala

Fossombronia pusilla compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Key Differences

• Common Frillwort is Critically Endangered while koala is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Frillwort	koala
Kingdom	Plantae (พืช)	Animalia (สัตว์)
Phylum	Marchantiophyta (ลิเวอร์เวิร์ต)	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)
Class	Jungermanniopsida (Jungermanniopsida)	Mammalia (สัตว์เลี้ยงลูกด้วยน้ำนม)
Order	Fossombroniales (Fossombroniales)	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)
Family	Fossombroniaceae	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus	Fossombronia	Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species	Fossombronia pusilla	Phascolarctos cinereus

Conservation Status

Common Frillwort

CR — Critically Endangered

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Frillwort	koala
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	75 cm
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Frillwort

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, and Mediterranean forests and woodlands spanning the Indomalayan and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found across Asia (Taiwan) and Europe (5 countries). 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.

Common Frillwort

<em>Fossombronia pusilla</em>, commonly known as the common frillwort, is a small liverwort belonging to the family Fossombroniaceae within the division Marchantiophyta. This non-vascular bryophyte typically grows in moist, disturbed soils, clay banks, and damp pathways across its range in Europe and parts of Asia. The thallus is typically lobed and frilly in appearance, giving the species its common name. <em>Fossombronia pusilla</em> favors habitats with high moisture and reduced competition, often colonizing bare or sparsely vegetated ground following disturbance. Its geographic range spans temperate regions of western and central Europe into Asia, though populations have become increasingly fragmented. The species is currently assessed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, reflecting severe population declines likely driven by habitat loss, land drainage, and agricultural intensification. Biological traits such as lifespan, body size, and diet remain poorly documented for this species, as is common among many small bryophyte taxa. Like other liverworts, <em>Fossombronia pusilla</em> reproduces both sexually through spores and vegetatively. Conservation of this species depends on protecting moist, low-competition microhabitats and reducing disturbance to its specialized substrates.

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.