False Water Rat vs

Xeromys myoides compared with Inocybe margaritispora

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	False Water Rat
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Muridae (Mice & Rats)	Inocybaceae
Genus	Xeromys	Inocybe
Species	Xeromys myoides	Inocybe margaritispora

Conservation Status

False Water Rat

VU — Vulnerable

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	False Water Rat
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

False Water Rat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Habitat

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

Range

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

Inocybe margaritispora is a small, fibrous mushroom with pearl-shaped or warty spores distinguishing it within the large Inocybe genus. It grows in temperate deciduous forests, forming ectomycorrhizal associations with beech, oak, and other hardwood trees. This fungus exchanges nutrients with tree roots and fruiting bodies appear on forest floors in summer and autumn.