Merriam’s Pocket Mouse vs Orange Waxcap

Perognathus merriami compared with Hygrocybe aurantiosplendens

Key Differences

• Merriam’s Pocket Mouse is Least Concern while Orange Waxcap is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Merriam’s Pocket Mouse	Orange Waxcap
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Heteromyidae	Hygrophoraceae
Genus	Perognathus	Hygrocybe
Species	Perognathus merriami	Hygrocybe aurantiosplendens

Conservation Status

Merriam’s Pocket Mouse

LC — Least Concern

Orange Waxcap

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Merriam’s Pocket Mouse

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Orange Waxcap

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.