Dwarf Shield vs Merriam’s Pocket Mouse

Pluteus nanus compared with Perognathus merriami

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Dwarf Shield	Merriam’s Pocket Mouse
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Pluteaceae	Heteromyidae
Genus	Pluteus	Perognathus
Species	Pluteus nanus	Perognathus merriami

Conservation Status

Dwarf Shield

LC — Least Concern

Merriam’s Pocket Mouse

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Dwarf Shield	Merriam’s Pocket Mouse
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Dwarf Shield

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States.

Merriam’s Pocket Mouse

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.