Merriam’s Pocket Mouse vs Shadowed Waxcap

Perognathus merriami compared with Hygrocybe phaeococcinea

Key Differences

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

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Merriam’s Pocket Mouse	Shadowed 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 phaeococcinea

Conservation Status

Merriam’s Pocket Mouse

LC — Least Concern

Shadowed Waxcap

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Merriam’s Pocket Mouse

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Shadowed Waxcap

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.