koala vs

Phascolarctos cinereus compared with Mikrosyphar polysiphoniae

Key Differences

• koala is Vulnerable while is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	koala
Kingdom	Animalia (สัตว์)	Chromista (โครมิสตา)
Phylum	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)	Ochrophyta (Ochrophyta)
Class	Mammalia (สัตว์เลี้ยงลูกด้วยน้ำนม)	Phaeophyceae (Phaeophyceae)
Order	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)	Ectocarpales (Ectocarpales)
Family	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)	Chordariaceae
Genus	Phascolarctos (Koalas)	Mikrosyphar
Species	Phascolarctos cinereus	Mikrosyphar polysiphoniae

Conservation Status

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	koala
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.

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

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.

Mikrosyphar polysiphoniae is a small, endophytic brown alga in the order Ectocarpales that parasitizes red algae in the genus Polysiphonia. It penetrates into the cortical tissue of its host, forming small pustules visible on the host thallus surface. Assessed as Least Concern, it is found in temperate coastal marine environments in the Northern Hemisphere.