Cramp Balls vs Golden hamster

Daldinia concentrica compared with Mesocricetus auratus

Key Differences

• Cramp Balls is Vulnerable while Golden hamster is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cramp Balls	Golden hamster
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Sordariomycetes (Sordariomycetes)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Xylariales (Xylariales)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Hypoxylaceae	Cricetidae
Genus	Daldinia	Mesocricetus
Species	Daldinia concentrica	Mesocricetus auratus

Conservation Status

Cramp Balls

VU — Vulnerable

Golden hamster

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cramp Balls	Golden hamster
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.

Golden hamster

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries) and South America (Colombia, Ecuador).

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway