Fly Agaric vs Telefomin Cuscus

Amanita muscaria compared with Phalanger matanim

Key Differences

• Fly Agaric is Least Concern while Telefomin Cuscus is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fly Agaric	Telefomin Cuscus
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)
Family	Agaricaceae (Agarics)	Phalangeridae
Genus	Amanita (Amanitas)	Phalanger
Species	Amanita muscaria	Phalanger matanim

Conservation Status

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Telefomin Cuscus

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Fly Agaric	Telefomin Cuscus
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).

Telefomin Cuscus

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

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.