Cramp Balls vs Fat Sand Rat

Daldinia concentrica compared with Psammomys obesus

Key Differences

• Cramp Balls is Vulnerable while Fat Sand Rat is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cramp Balls	Fat Sand Rat
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Sordariomycetes (Sordariomycetes)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Xylariales (Xylariales)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Hypoxylaceae	Muridae (Mice & Rats)
Genus	Daldinia	Psammomys
Species	Daldinia concentrica	Psammomys obesus

Conservation Status

Cramp Balls

VU — Vulnerable

Fat Sand Rat

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cramp Balls	Fat Sand Rat
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cramp Balls

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Fat Sand Rat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.