Giant Polypore vs Lesser Noctule

Meripilus giganteus compared with Nyctalus leisleri

Key Differences

• Giant Polypore is Near Threatened while Lesser Noctule is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Giant Polypore	Lesser Noctule
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Polyporales (Polyporales)	Chiroptera (Bats)
Family	Meripilaceae	Vespertilionidae
Genus	Meripilus	Nyctalus
Species	Meripilus giganteus	Nyctalus leisleri

Conservation Status

Giant Polypore

NT — Near Threatened

Lesser Noctule

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Giant Polypore	Lesser Noctule
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Giant Polypore

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Lesser Noctule

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

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

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇸🇪 Sweden