Cramp Balls vs Gambian Mongoose

Daldinia concentrica compared with Mungos gambianus

Key Differences

Cramp Balls is Vulnerable while Gambian Mongoose is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cramp Balls	Gambian Mongoose
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Sordariomycetes (Sordariomycetes)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Xylariales (Xylariales)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Hypoxylaceae	Herpestidae
Genus	Daldinia	Mungos
Species	Daldinia concentrica	Mungos gambianus

Conservation Status

Cramp Balls

VU — Vulnerable

Gambian Mongoose

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cramp Balls	Gambian Mongoose
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.