Limestone Waxcap vs Little Ground Squirrel

Hygrocybe calciphila compared with Spermophilus pygmaeus

Key Differences

Limestone Waxcap is Vulnerable while Little Ground Squirrel is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Limestone Waxcap	Little Ground Squirrel
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Hygrophoraceae	Sciuridae (Squirrels)
Genus	Hygrocybe	Spermophilus
Species	Hygrocybe calciphila	Spermophilus pygmaeus

Conservation Status

Limestone Waxcap

VU — Vulnerable

Little Ground Squirrel

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Limestone Waxcap	Little Ground Squirrel
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Limestone Waxcap

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.