Caucasian Mountain Ground Squirrel vs

Spermophilus musicus compared with Usnea cornuta

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Caucasian Mountain Ground Squirrel
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Lecanorales (Lecanorales)
Family	Sciuridae (Squirrels)	Parmeliaceae
Genus	Spermophilus	Usnea
Species	Spermophilus musicus	Usnea cornuta

Conservation Status

Caucasian Mountain Ground Squirrel

NT — Near Threatened

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Caucasian Mountain Ground Squirrel
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Caucasian Mountain Ground Squirrel

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway, Portugal, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Caucasian Mountain Ground Squirrel

The Caucasian Mountain Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus musicus) is a species in the genus Spermophilus. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Usnea cornuta is a fruticose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae, assessed as Near Threatened (NT). It forms shrubby, branching thalli that hang from tree branches and twigs, typically in humid forest environments. Like all Usnea species, it is highly sensitive to air pollution, particularly sulfur dioxide, making it a useful bioindicator of air quality.