Bladder Stalks vs Cluster Bat

Physalacria inflata compared with Myotis sodalis

Key Differences

Bladder Stalks is Not Evaluated while Cluster Bat is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bladder Stalks	Cluster Bat
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Chiroptera (Bats)
Family	Physalacriaceae	Vespertilionidae
Genus	Physalacria	Myotis
Species	Physalacria inflata	Myotis sodalis

Conservation Status

Bladder Stalks

NE — Not Evaluated

Cluster Bat

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bladder Stalks	Cluster Bat
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bladder Stalks

Habitat

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

Range

Found in United States.

Cluster Bat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

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

Bladder Stalks

The Bladder Stalks (Physalacria inflata) is a species in the genus Physalacria. Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Myotis sodalis, the Indiana bat or cluster bat, is a medium-sized insectivorous bat in the family Vespertilionidae endemic to the eastern United States. It is one of the most endangered bats in North America, listed as Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN. The species is named for its behavior of clustering in extremely dense hibernation groups—sometimes thousands of bats per square meter—in specific limestone caves and mines during winter. These few critical hibernacula make the species extremely vulnerable to disturbance and disease. Since 2007, Indiana bats have suffered severe mortality from white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans that disrupts hibernation and causes mass starvation. During summer, Indiana bats roost under loose bark of dead trees and forage for insects over forested landscapes and riparian areas. Foraging individuals consume moths, beetles, and flying insects. Conservation efforts include cave gate protection, white-nose syndrome research, and summer habitat management on public and private lands across the eastern US.