Boreal Button Lichen vs Little Ground Squirrel

Buellia disciformis compared with Spermophilus pygmaeus

Key Differences

• Boreal Button Lichen is Critically Endangered while Little Ground Squirrel is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Boreal Button Lichen	Little Ground Squirrel
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Caliciales (Caliciales)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Caliciaceae	Sciuridae (Squirrels)
Genus	Buellia	Spermophilus
Species	Buellia disciformis	Spermophilus pygmaeus

Conservation Status

Boreal Button Lichen

CR — Critically Endangered

Little Ground Squirrel

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Boreal Button Lichen	Little Ground Squirrel
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Boreal Button Lichen

Habitat

Inhabits temperate broadleaf and mixed forests and Mediterranean forests and woodlands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Little Ground Squirrel

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Russia and Ukraine.

Boreal Button Lichen

The Boreal Button Lichen (Buellia disciformis) is a species in the genus Buellia. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Inhabits temperate broadleaf and mixed forests and Mediterranean forests and woodlands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.