Fly Agaric vs Sowerby's keeled slug

Amanita muscaria compared with Tandonia sowerbyi

Key Differences

Fly Agaric is Least Concern while Sowerby's keeled slug is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fly Agaric	Sowerby's keeled slug
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Mollusca (Mollusks)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Gastropoda (Gastropoda)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Stylommatophora (Stylommatophora)
Family	Agaricaceae (Agarics)	Milacidae
Genus	Amanita (Amanitas)	Tandonia
Species	Amanita muscaria	Tandonia sowerbyi

Conservation Status

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Sowerby's keeled slug

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Fly Agaric	Sowerby's keeled slug
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).

Sowerby's keeled slug

Habitat

Typically found in terrestrial and aquatic habitats including forests and freshwater.

Range

Found across Europe (10 countries) and Oceania and the Pacific (New Zealand).

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.