vs Merriam’s Pocket Mouse

Hydnellum compactum compared with Perognathus merriami

Key Differences

• is Vulnerable while Merriam’s Pocket Mouse is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		Merriam’s Pocket Mouse
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Thelephorales (Thelephorales)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Bankeraceae	Heteromyidae
Genus	Hydnellum	Perognathus
Species	Hydnellum compactum	Perognathus merriami

Conservation Status

VU — Vulnerable

Merriam’s Pocket Mouse

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute		Merriam’s Pocket Mouse
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Merriam’s Pocket Mouse

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Hydnellum compactum is a stipitate, tooth fungus with a compact, brownish-orange to rusty-brown cap surface covered in spines on the underside. It grows on the forest floor in coniferous forests across Europe and parts of North America, forming ectomycorrhizal associations with trees. This fungus obtains nutrients by forming mutualistic partnerships with the roots of pine, spruce, and fir trees.