Bitter Waxcap vs Gambian Sun Squirrel

Hygrocybe mucronella compared with Heliosciurus gambianus

Key Differences

• Bitter Waxcap is Near Threatened while Gambian Sun Squirrel is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bitter Waxcap	Gambian Sun Squirrel
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Hygrophoraceae	Sciuridae (Squirrels)
Genus	Hygrocybe	Heliosciurus
Species	Hygrocybe mucronella	Heliosciurus gambianus

Conservation Status

Bitter Waxcap

NT — Near Threatened

Gambian Sun Squirrel

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bitter Waxcap	Gambian Sun Squirrel
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.

Gambian Sun Squirrel

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

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.