ciliate fringewort vs koala

Ptilidium ciliare compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Key Differences

ciliate fringewort is Endangered while koala is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	ciliate fringewort	koala
Kingdom	Plantae (bitki)	Animalia (hayvan)
Phylum	Marchantiophyta (Ciğer otları)	Chordata (Kordalılar)
Class	Jungermanniopsida (Jungermanniopsida)	Mammalia (memeliler)
Order	Ptilidiales (Ptilidiales)	Diprotodontia (İki ön dişliler)
Family	Ptilidiaceae	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus	Ptilidium	Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species	Ptilidium ciliare	Phascolarctos cinereus

Conservation Status

ciliate fringewort

EN — Endangered

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	ciliate fringewort	koala
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	75 cm
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

ciliate fringewort

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its 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.

ciliate fringewort

Ciliate fringewort (Ptilidium ciliare) is a leafy liverwort in the family Ptilidiaceae, found in boreal and montane regions of the Northern Hemisphere, including Europe, North America, and parts of northern Asia. It grows as a creeping, irregularly branched mat with leaves divided into deeply fringed lobes edged with long, hair-like cilia—the characteristic feature that gives the species its common name. Ciliate fringewort colonizes a variety of substrates including rock surfaces, boulders, tree trunks, and peaty ground in open to moderately shaded habitats such as heathland, moorland, montane grasslands, and subalpine and subarctic vegetation. It is particularly common on exposed rocks in boreal and tundra zones. The species is classified as Endangered in parts of Europe, where lowland populations have declined severely due to atmospheric nitrogen deposition, afforestation of open heathland, and the loss of traditionally managed heath and moorland habitats. Populations in montane and boreal zones remain more stable. Ciliate fringewort is sensitive to elevated nitrogen levels that promote the competitive dominance of grasses and mosses. Restoration of lowland heathland and reduction of nitrogen pollution are key measures needed to support remaining European populations. The species is better represented in Scandinavian boreal habitats and North American taiga and tundra.

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.