Fly Agaric vs Humpback smooth hound

Amanita muscaria compared with Mustelus whitneyi

Key Differences

Fly Agaric is Least Concern while Humpback smooth hound is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fly Agaric	Humpback smooth hound
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Carcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks)
Family	Agaricaceae (Agarics)	Triakidae
Genus	Amanita (Amanitas)	Mustelus
Species	Amanita muscaria	Mustelus whitneyi

Conservation Status

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Humpback smooth hound

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Fly Agaric	Humpback smooth hound
Diet	Decomposer	—
Average Lifespan	1 years	—
Average Length	20 cm	—
Average Weight	100 g	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Fly Agaric

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), Oceania and the Pacific (New Zealand), and South America (Brazil, Chile, Colombia).

Humpback smooth hound

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate grasslands and steppes, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 5 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Found in Chile. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Fly Agaric

Among the most iconic and recognizable fungi on Earth, fly agaric mushrooms display striking red caps with white flecked warts across boreal forests of the Northern Hemisphere. Despite their fairy-tale appearance, they contain potent psychoactive compounds including muscimol and ibotenic acid and are moderately toxic. They form critical mycorrhizal symbioses with birch, pine, and spruce trees, exchanging mineral nutrients for carbon and playing essential roles in boreal forest nutrient cycling.