Buckelwal vs Fly Agaric

Megaptera novaeangliae compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

Buckelwal is Vulnerable while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.
Buckelwal is carnivore while Fly Agaric is decomposer.
Buckelwal is 300000.0x heavier than Fly Agaric.
Buckelwal lives longer (50 years vs 1 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Buckelwal	Fly Agaric
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Megaptera (Humpback Whales)	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Megaptera novaeangliae	Amanita muscaria

Conservation Status

Buckelwal

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~80.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Buckelwal	Fly Agaric
Diet	Carnivore	Decomposer
Average Lifespan	50 years	1 years
Average Length	15.0 m	20 cm
Average Weight	30.0 t	100 g

Habitat & Geographic Range

Buckelwal

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 11 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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).

Buckelwal

Among the most acrobatic of the great whales, humpback whales are renowned for their complex, haunting songs sung by males during breeding season — some lasting hours and evolving over time. Reaching 16 meters and 30 tonnes, they undertake the longest migrations of any mammal. Found in all oceans, humpbacks feed on krill and small fish using cooperative bubble-net feeding. Populations have largely recovered from historic whaling.

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.