Giant Polypore vs Noctule

Meripilus giganteus compared with Nyctalus noctula

Key Differences

• Giant Polypore is Near Threatened while Noctule is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Giant Polypore	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 noctula

Conservation Status

Giant Polypore

NT — Near Threatened

Noctule

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Giant Polypore	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.

Noctule

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Noctule

Noctule (Nyctalus noctula) is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List. Facing a high risk of endangerment in the wild, with declining populations and increasing habitat pressure.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden