koala vs narrow-leaf paperbark

Phascolarctos cinereus compared with Melaleuca alternifolia

Key Differences

• koala is Vulnerable while narrow-leaf paperbark is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	koala	narrow-leaf paperbark
Kingdom	Animalia (สัตว์)	Plantae (พืช)
Phylum	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Mammalia (สัตว์เลี้ยงลูกด้วยน้ำนม)	Magnoliopsida (พืชใบเลี้ยงคู่)
Order	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)	Myrtales (อันดับชมพู่)
Family	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)	Myrtaceae
Genus	Phascolarctos (Koalas)	Melaleuca
Species	Phascolarctos cinereus	Melaleuca alternifolia

Conservation Status

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

narrow-leaf paperbark

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	koala	narrow-leaf paperbark
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.

narrow-leaf paperbark

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across Brazil, India, South Africa, and Taiwan.

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.