Cramp Balls vs Marley’s Golden Mole

Daldinia concentrica compared with Amblysomus marleyi

Key Differences

• Cramp Balls is Vulnerable while Marley’s Golden Mole is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cramp Balls	Marley’s Golden Mole
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Sordariomycetes (Sordariomycetes)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Xylariales (Xylariales)	Afrosoricida (Afrosoricida)
Family	Hypoxylaceae	Chrysochloridae
Genus	Daldinia	Amblysomus
Species	Daldinia concentrica	Amblysomus marleyi

Conservation Status

Cramp Balls

VU — Vulnerable

Marley’s Golden Mole

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cramp Balls	Marley’s Golden Mole
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.

Marley’s Golden Mole

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.