koala vs Strap-leaved Earth-moss

Phascolarctos cinereus compared with Ephemerum recurvifolium

Key Differences

• koala is Vulnerable while Strap-leaved Earth-moss is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	koala	Strap-leaved Earth-moss
Kingdom	Animalia (สัตว์)	Plantae (พืช)
Phylum	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)	Bryophyta
Class	Mammalia (สัตว์เลี้ยงลูกด้วยน้ำนม)	Bryopsida (Bryopsida)
Order	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)	Pottiales (Pottiales)
Family	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)	Ephemeraceae
Genus	Phascolarctos (Koalas)	Ephemerum
Species	Phascolarctos cinereus	Ephemerum recurvifolium

Conservation Status

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Strap-leaved Earth-moss

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	koala	Strap-leaved Earth-moss
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.

Strap-leaved Earth-moss

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Luxembourg, 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.