vs Pacific Spiny-rat

Clitopilus passeckerianus compared with Proechimys decumanus

Key Differences

• is Not Evaluated while Pacific Spiny-rat is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		Pacific Spiny-rat
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Entolomataceae	Echimyidae
Genus	Clitopilus	Proechimys
Species	Clitopilus passeckerianus	Proechimys decumanus

Conservation Status

NE — Not Evaluated

Pacific Spiny-rat

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute		Pacific Spiny-rat
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

Pacific Spiny-rat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

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

Clitopilus passeckerianus is a white-rot agaric fungus in the family Entolomataceae notable for its role as a natural producer of pleuromutilin, a diterpenoid antibiotic compound that serves as the biosynthetic precursor for the veterinary and human antibiotic drugs tiamulin and valnemulin, used to treat Mycoplasma infections in livestock. First described from European woodland habitats, the species produces the characteristic Clitopilus fruiting body: a pale, whitish cap with decurrent, crowded gills becoming pinkish at maturity from angular spores, and a farinaceous odor. Its antibiotic-producing capacity makes C. passeckerianus of significant pharmaceutical interest, and biosynthetic studies of pleuromutilin production have informed synthetic chemistry approaches to antibiotic development. The species inhabits temperate deciduous woodland floors in Europe, fruiting in autumn among leaf litter. Discovery of its pleuromutilin biosynthetic pathway has opened avenues for heterologous expression and semi-synthetic modification aimed at developing novel antibiotics to counter antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens.