Cramp Balls vs Midday Jird

Daldinia concentrica compared with Meriones meridianus

Key Differences

• Cramp Balls is Vulnerable while Midday Jird is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cramp Balls	Midday Jird
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	Meriones
Species	Daldinia concentrica	Meriones meridianus

Conservation Status

Cramp Balls

VU — Vulnerable

Midday Jird

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cramp Balls	Midday Jird
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.

Midday Jird

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.