vs koala

Clauzadea monticola compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Key Differences

is Near Threatened while koala is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		koala
Kingdom	Fungi (真菌界)	Animalia (动物界)
Phylum	Ascomycota (子囊菌门)	Chordata (脊索动物门)
Class	Lecanoromycetes (茶漬綱)	Mammalia (哺乳動物)
Order	Lecideales (网衣目)	Diprotodontia (雙門齒目)
Family	Lecideaceae	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus	Clauzadea	Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species	Clauzadea monticola	Phascolarctos cinereus

Conservation Status

NT — Near Threatened

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.

Clauzadea monticola is a crustose lichen in the family Lecanoromycetes, typically found growing on calcareous rock surfaces in montane and subalpine environments across Europe and parts of Asia. This saxicolous species forms tightly adherent gray to brownish thalli that merge seamlessly with the substrate, often colonizing exposed limestone, dolomite, and mortar in cold, humid climates. Its apothecia are characteristic lecideine structures with dark, often black discs and prominent thalline excipula. Like many saxicolous lichens, Clauzadea monticola plays an important ecological role in early-stage rock colonization, contributing to the gradual weathering and formation of thin soils. The species tolerates extreme temperature fluctuations and intermittent desiccation, making it well adapted to high-altitude rocky habitats. It reproduces both sexually through ascospores dispersed from apothecia and vegetatively. The precise global distribution remains incompletely documented due to the cryptic nature of lichen diversity in mountainous terrain. Taxonomic placement has been revised over time as molecular studies have refined understanding of crustose lichen phylogenetics. Conservation status is not formally evaluated, though habitat loss through quarrying and acid deposition poses potential threats to calcareous rock lichen communities. Clauzadea monticola is studied in lichenological surveys as an indicator of calcareous bedrock conditions and relatively undisturbed montane environments.