Dark-Spored Puffball vs Inquisitive Shrew Mole

Lycoperdon atropurpureum compared with Uropsilus investigator

Key Differences

• Dark-Spored Puffball is Endangered while Inquisitive Shrew Mole is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Dark-Spored Puffball	Inquisitive Shrew Mole
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)
Family	Lycoperdaceae	Talpidae
Genus	Lycoperdon	Uropsilus
Species	Lycoperdon atropurpureum	Uropsilus investigator

Conservation Status

Dark-Spored Puffball

EN — Endangered

Inquisitive Shrew Mole

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Dark-Spored Puffball	Inquisitive Shrew Mole
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Dark-Spored Puffball

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Inquisitive Shrew Mole

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.