Cinnamon antechinus vs Common Jelly Spot

Antechinus leo compared with Dacrymyces stillatus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cinnamon antechinus	Common Jelly Spot
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Dacrymycetes (Dacrymycetes)
Order	Dasyuromorphia (Dasyuromorphia)	Dacrymycetales (Dacrymycetales)
Family	Dasyuridae	Dacrymycetaceae
Genus	Antechinus	Dacrymyces
Species	Antechinus leo	Dacrymyces stillatus

Conservation Status

Cinnamon antechinus

LC — Least Concern

Common Jelly Spot

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cinnamon antechinus	Common Jelly Spot
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cinnamon antechinus

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Common Jelly Spot

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States).

Cinnamon antechinus

The cinnamon antechinus (Antechinus leo) is a small marsupial in the family Dasyuridae, endemic to northeastern Queensland, Australia, particularly the Cape York Peninsula. It inhabits tropical and subtropical rainforest and forest margins at low elevations, sheltering in tree hollows, dense vine tangles, and fallen logs. Like all antechinuses, it is a specialist insectivore, consuming beetles, cockroaches, moths, and other invertebrates, and occasionally small lizards. The cinnamon antechinus is named for its rich cinnamon-brown dorsal fur. A remarkable feature shared by all antechinus species is semelparous reproduction: males undergo a catastrophic physiological decline and die shortly after a brief, intense mating season in winter, leaving only the pregnant females to carry the population into the next generation. This extreme reproductive strategy results in completely male-free populations for most of the year. The species is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, with populations within Cape York's relatively intact tropical forest. However, like all antechinuses, it faces threats from feral predators (cats and foxes), habitat degradation, and altered fire regimes. Climate change poses a long-term risk by shrinking the cool, moist forest habitats this species depends on. Genetic studies of Australian antechinuses have revealed considerable cryptic diversity.

Common Jelly Spot

<em>Dacrymyces stillatus</em>, commonly known as the common jelly spot, is a saprotrophic fungus in the family Dacrymycetaceae. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, with records from five European countries and North America. The species typically grows on damp, dead, or decaying wood, particularly coniferous timber, forming small, gelatinous, orange-yellow cushions or pustules on the substrate surface. As a saprotrophic wood-decay fungus, it contributes to nutrient cycling and the decomposition of woody material in temperate forest ecosystems. The bright gelatinous fruiting bodies make it a conspicuous species when encountered on wet wood in cool, humid conditions. Diet information for this species is not available in current records. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.