Common Extinguisher-moss vs Long-eared Hedgehog

Encalypta vulgaris compared with Hemiechinus auritus

Key Differences

• Common Extinguisher-moss is Vulnerable while Long-eared Hedgehog is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Extinguisher-moss	Long-eared Hedgehog
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Bryophyta	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Bryopsida (Bryopsida)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Encalyptales (Encalyptales)	Erinaceomorpha (Erinaceomorpha)
Family	Encalyptaceae	Erinaceidae
Genus	Encalypta	Hemiechinus
Species	Encalypta vulgaris	Hemiechinus auritus

Conservation Status

Common Extinguisher-moss

VU — Vulnerable

Long-eared Hedgehog

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Extinguisher-moss	Long-eared Hedgehog
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Extinguisher-moss

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Long-eared Hedgehog

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Cyprus, Spain, and Ukraine.

Common Extinguisher-moss

<em>Encalypta vulgaris</em>, the common extinguisher moss, is a acrocarpous moss in the family Encalyptaceae, classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List, indicating a concerning decline in populations across parts of its European range. The species is documented in Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Portugal, where it is native to European calcareous habitats. <em>Encalypta vulgaris</em> typically grows on dry to moist calcareous rocks, soil banks, old walls, and disturbed ground with base-rich substrates, often in open or semi-shaded microhabitats. The common name refers to the distinctive elongated calyptra, a cap-like structure that covers the developing sporophyte and resembles an old-fashioned candle snuffer or extinguisher. The calyptra is persistent and fringed at its base, a diagnostic feature of the genus <em>Encalypta</em>. This moss is sensitive to nitrogen pollution and habitat disturbance, and its Vulnerable status reflects the loss and degradation of calcareous grasslands and rock habitats across Europe due to agricultural intensification, urban development, and changing land management. It plays a role in soil stabilization and moisture retention in the rocky and disturbed habitats it colonizes. Conservation of calcareous habitats is essential for maintaining populations of this and many other specialist plant and lichen species. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.