koala vs Wheat smut

Phascolarctos cinereus compared with Tilletia caries

Key Differences

• koala is Vulnerable while Wheat smut is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	koala	Wheat smut
Kingdom	Animalia (สัตว์)	Fungi (เห็ดรา)
Phylum	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (สัตว์เลี้ยงลูกด้วยน้ำนม)	Exobasidiomycetes (Exobasidiomycetes)
Order	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)	Tilletiales (Tilletiales)
Family	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)	Tilletiaceae
Genus	Phascolarctos (Koalas)	Tilletia
Species	Phascolarctos cinereus	Tilletia caries

Conservation Status

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Wheat smut

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	koala	Wheat smut
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.

Wheat smut

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Europe (9 countries) and North America (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.