Flame Shield vs Gambian Sun Squirrel

Pluteus aurantiorugosus compared with Heliosciurus gambianus

Key Differences

• Flame Shield is Endangered while Gambian Sun Squirrel is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Flame Shield	Gambian Sun Squirrel
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Pluteaceae	Sciuridae (Squirrels)
Genus	Pluteus	Heliosciurus
Species	Pluteus aurantiorugosus	Heliosciurus gambianus

Conservation Status

Flame Shield

EN — Endangered

Gambian Sun Squirrel

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Flame Shield	Gambian Sun Squirrel
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Flame Shield

Habitat

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

Range

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

Gambian Sun Squirrel

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.