Dark-Spored Puffball vs Pale fox

Lycoperdon atropurpureum compared with Vulpes pallida

Key Differences

• Dark-Spored Puffball is Endangered while Pale fox is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Dark-Spored Puffball	Pale fox
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Lycoperdaceae	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)
Genus	Lycoperdon	Vulpes (Foxes)
Species	Lycoperdon atropurpureum	Vulpes pallida

Conservation Status

Dark-Spored Puffball

EN — Endangered

Pale fox

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Dark-Spored Puffball	Pale fox
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.

Pale fox

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.