black gloss vs Fly Agaric

Zonitoides nitidus compared with Amanita muscaria

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	black gloss	Fly Agaric
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Mollusca (Mollusks)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Gastropoda (Gastropoda)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Stylommatophora (Stylommatophora)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Gastrodontidae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Zonitoides	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Zonitoides nitidus	Amanita muscaria

Conservation Status

black gloss

LC — Least Concern

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	black gloss	Fly Agaric
Diet	—	Decomposer
Average Lifespan	—	1 years
Average Length	—	20 cm
Average Weight	—	100 g

Habitat & Geographic Range

black gloss

Habitat

Typically found in terrestrial and aquatic habitats including forests and freshwater.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Israel), Europe (9 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Argentina, Uruguay).

Fly Agaric

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), Oceania and the Pacific (New Zealand), and South America (Brazil, Chile, Colombia).

black gloss

The Black Gloss (Zonitoides nitidus) is a species in the genus Zonitoides. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in terrestrial and aquatic habitats including forests and freshwater.

Fly Agaric

Among the most iconic and recognizable fungi on Earth, fly agaric mushrooms display striking red caps with white flecked warts across boreal forests of the Northern Hemisphere. Despite their fairy-tale appearance, they contain potent psychoactive compounds including muscimol and ibotenic acid and are moderately toxic. They form critical mycorrhizal symbioses with birch, pine, and spruce trees, exchanging mineral nutrients for carbon and playing essential roles in boreal forest nutrient cycling.