Cup Lichen vs Meller’s Mongoose

Cladonia peziziformis compared with Rhynchogale melleri

Key Differences

• Cup Lichen is Endangered while Meller’s Mongoose is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cup Lichen	Meller’s Mongoose
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Lecanorales (Lecanorales)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Cladoniaceae	Herpestidae
Genus	Cladonia	Rhynchogale
Species	Cladonia peziziformis	Rhynchogale melleri

Conservation Status

Cup Lichen

EN — Endangered

Meller’s Mongoose

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cup Lichen	Meller’s Mongoose
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cup Lichen

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America and South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (Norway, Portugal, Sweden), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil, Colombia). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Meller’s Mongoose

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.