Cramp Balls vs Pacific Spiny-rat

Daldinia concentrica compared with Proechimys decumanus

Key Differences

• Cramp Balls is Vulnerable while Pacific Spiny-rat is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cramp Balls	Pacific Spiny-rat
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Sordariomycetes (Sordariomycetes)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Xylariales (Xylariales)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Hypoxylaceae	Echimyidae
Genus	Daldinia	Proechimys
Species	Daldinia concentrica	Proechimys decumanus

Conservation Status

Cramp Balls

VU — Vulnerable

Pacific Spiny-rat

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cramp Balls	Pacific Spiny-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.

Pacific Spiny-rat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in Ecuador. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.