Ghost Shield vs North American porcupine

Pluteus pellitus compared with Erethizon dorsatus

Key Differences

• Ghost Shield is Vulnerable while North American porcupine is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Ghost Shield	North American porcupine
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Pluteaceae	Erethizontidae
Genus	Pluteus	Erethizon
Species	Pluteus pellitus	Erethizon dorsatus

Conservation Status

Ghost Shield

VU — Vulnerable

North American porcupine

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Ghost Shield	North American porcupine
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Ghost Shield

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.

North American porcupine

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in United States.