koala vs Waterside Rockshag Lichen

Phascolarctos cinereus compared with Ephebe lanata

Key Differences

• koala is Vulnerable while Waterside Rockshag Lichen is Extinct.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	koala	Waterside Rockshag Lichen
Kingdom	Animalia (สัตว์)	Fungi (เห็ดรา)
Phylum	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (สัตว์เลี้ยงลูกด้วยน้ำนม)	Lichinomycetes (Lichinomycetes)
Order	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)	Lichinales (Lichinales)
Family	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)	Lichinaceae
Genus	Phascolarctos (Koalas)	Ephebe
Species	Phascolarctos cinereus	Ephebe lanata

Conservation Status

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Waterside Rockshag Lichen

EX — Extinct

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	koala	Waterside Rockshag Lichen
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.

Waterside Rockshag Lichen

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and United States.

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.