koala vs Least Adder's-tongue

Phascolarctos cinereus compared with Ophioglossum lusitanicum

Key Differences

• koala is Vulnerable while Least Adder's-tongue is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	koala	Least Adder's-tongue
Kingdom	Animalia (สัตว์)	Plantae (พืช)
Phylum	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)	Tracheophyta
Class	Mammalia (สัตว์เลี้ยงลูกด้วยน้ำนม)	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)
Order	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)	Ophioglossales (Ophioglossales)
Family	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)	Ophioglossaceae
Genus	Phascolarctos (Koalas)	Ophioglossum
Species	Phascolarctos cinereus	Ophioglossum lusitanicum

Conservation Status

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Least Adder's-tongue

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	koala	Least Adder's-tongue
Diet	Herbivore	—
Average Lifespan	15 years	—
Average Length	75 cm	—
Average Weight	10.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic 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.

Least Adder's-tongue

Habitat

Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Portugal.

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.