Heath Puffball vs Lesser Noctule

Lycoperdon ericaeum compared with Nyctalus leisleri

Key Differences

• Heath Puffball is Data Deficient while Lesser Noctule is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Heath Puffball	Lesser Noctule
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Chiroptera (Bats)
Family	Lycoperdaceae	Vespertilionidae
Genus	Lycoperdon	Nyctalus
Species	Lycoperdon ericaeum	Nyctalus leisleri

Conservation Status

Heath Puffball

DD — Data Deficient

Lesser Noctule

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Heath Puffball	Lesser Noctule
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Heath Puffball

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Taiwan.

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 2 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇸🇪 Sweden