Cramp Balls vs Mongolian gerbil

Daldinia concentrica compared with Meriones unguiculatus

Key Differences

• Cramp Balls is Vulnerable while Mongolian gerbil is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cramp Balls	Mongolian gerbil
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 unguiculatus

Conservation Status

Cramp Balls

VU — Vulnerable

Mongolian gerbil

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cramp Balls	Mongolian gerbil
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.

Mongolian gerbil

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries) and South America (Colombia, Ecuador).

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway