Bitter Waxcap vs Etruscan Shrew

Hygrocybe mucronella compared with Suncus etruscus

Key Differences

• Bitter Waxcap is Near Threatened while Etruscan Shrew is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bitter Waxcap	Etruscan Shrew
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)
Family	Hygrophoraceae	Soricidae
Genus	Hygrocybe	Suncus
Species	Hygrocybe mucronella	Suncus etruscus

Conservation Status

Bitter Waxcap

NT — Near Threatened

Etruscan Shrew

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bitter Waxcap	Etruscan Shrew
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bitter Waxcap

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

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

Etruscan Shrew

Habitat

Inhabits deserts and xeric shrublands within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Found across Asia (Cyprus, Yemen) and Europe (6 countries).

Bitter Waxcap

The Bitter Waxcap (Hygrocybe mucronella) is a species in the genus Hygrocybe. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Etruscan Shrew

Etruscan Shrew (Suncus etruscus) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.