Cramp Balls vs Lesser Short-tailed Rat

Daldinia concentrica compared with Brachyuromys betsileoensis

Key Differences

• Cramp Balls is Vulnerable while Lesser Short-tailed Rat is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cramp Balls	Lesser Short-tailed Rat
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Sordariomycetes (Sordariomycetes)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Xylariales (Xylariales)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Hypoxylaceae	Nesomyidae
Genus	Daldinia	Brachyuromys
Species	Daldinia concentrica	Brachyuromys betsileoensis

Conservation Status

Cramp Balls

VU — Vulnerable

Lesser Short-tailed Rat

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cramp Balls	Lesser Short-tailed 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.

Lesser Short-tailed Rat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.