Merriam’s Pocket Mouse vs Scarlet Elfcup

Perognathus merriami compared with Sarcoscypha austriaca

Key Differences

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

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Merriam’s Pocket Mouse	Scarlet Elfcup
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Pezizomycetes (Pezizomycetes)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Pezizales (Pezizales)
Family	Heteromyidae	Sarcoscyphaceae
Genus	Perognathus	Sarcoscypha
Species	Perognathus merriami	Sarcoscypha austriaca

Conservation Status

Merriam’s Pocket Mouse

LC — Least Concern

Scarlet Elfcup

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Merriam’s Pocket Mouse

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Scarlet Elfcup

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

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