vs Lesser Pencil-tailed Tree Mouse

Comatricha laxa compared with Chiropodomys pusillus

Key Differences

is Not Evaluated while Lesser Pencil-tailed Tree Mouse is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		Lesser Pencil-tailed Tree Mouse
Kingdom	Protozoa (protozoa)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Mycetozoa	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Myxomycetes (Myxomycetes)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Stemonitidales	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Stemonitidaceae	Muridae (Mice & Rats)
Genus	Comatricha	Chiropodomys
Species	Comatricha laxa	Chiropodomys pusillus

Conservation Status

NE — Not Evaluated

Lesser Pencil-tailed Tree Mouse

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

Attribute		Lesser Pencil-tailed Tree Mouse
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), and South America (Brazil).

Lesser Pencil-tailed Tree Mouse

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Comatricha laxa is a plasmodial slime mold in the class Myxomycetes, order Stemonitidales, with a documented distribution spanning Asia, Europe, and South America. As a member of the genus Comatricha, it forms stalked sporangia with a characteristic capillitium that forms a loose, open network aiding spore dispersal. The species inhabits rotting logs, dead bark, and moist leaf litter in forested environments where conditions support the plasmodial feeding stage. The plasmodium is a multinucleate, macroscopic structure that migrates over substrates to engulf bacteria and other microorganisms. Geographic range data confirm a wide cosmopolitan distribution in suitable habitats across three continents. C. laxa contributes to decomposition and nutrient cycling in woodland ecosystems. No quantitative biological metrics such as body size or mass are applicable to this organism, and it has not been evaluated by the IUCN.