Butterfly Jelly Lichen vs Emperor Penguin

Collema flaccidum compared with Aptenodytes forsteri

Key Differences

Butterfly Jelly Lichen is Critically Endangered while Emperor Penguin is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Butterfly Jelly Lichen	Emperor Penguin
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Peltigerales (Peltigerales)	Sphenisciformes (Penguins)
Family	Collemataceae	Spheniscidae (Penguins)
Genus	Collema	Aptenodytes (Great Penguins)
Species	Collema flaccidum	Aptenodytes forsteri

Conservation Status

Butterfly Jelly Lichen

CR — Critically Endangered

Emperor Penguin

NT — Near Threatened

Population: ~595.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Butterfly Jelly Lichen	Emperor Penguin
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	20 years
Average Length	—	1.1 m
Average Weight	—	40.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Butterfly Jelly Lichen

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

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

Emperor Penguin

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 4 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

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

Butterfly Jelly Lichen

The Butterfly Jelly Lichen (Collema flaccidum) is a species in the genus Collema. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Emperor Penguin

The world's largest penguin, emperor penguins stand up to 1.2 meters and weigh 45 kg, inhabiting the Antarctic continent in some of the most extreme conditions on Earth. They breed in midwinter darkness at temperatures below -60°C, with males incubating single eggs on their feet under a brood pouch for 65 days while females are at sea. Their huddling behavior — cycling individuals through the warm center of thousands-strong groups — is a masterclass in cooperative survival.