Arched Earthstar vs Japanese Weasel

Geastrum fornicatum compared with Mustela itatsi

Key Differences

• Arched Earthstar is Critically Endangered while Japanese Weasel is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arched Earthstar	Japanese Weasel
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Geastrales (Geastrales)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Geastraceae	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Geastrum	Mustela
Species	Geastrum fornicatum	Mustela itatsi

Conservation Status

Arched Earthstar

CR — Critically Endangered

Japanese Weasel

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arched Earthstar	Japanese Weasel
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Arched Earthstar

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Neotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Japanese Weasel

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in Japan. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Arched Earthstar

The Arched Earthstar (Geastrum fornicatum) is a species in the genus Geastrum. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the.