Common Script Lichen vs Leschenault's rousette

Graphis scripta compared with Rousettus leschenaultii

Key Differences

Common Script Lichen is Least Concern while Leschenault's rousette is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Script Lichen	Leschenault's rousette
Kingdom	Fungi (Pilze)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Schlauchpilze)	Chordata (Chordatiere)
Class	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Mammalia (Säugetiere)
Order	Ostropales (Ostropales)	Chiroptera (Fledertiere)
Family	Graphidaceae	Pteropodidae (Fruit Bats)
Genus	Graphis	Rousettus
Species	Graphis scripta	Rousettus leschenaultii

Conservation Status

Common Script Lichen

LC — Least Concern

Leschenault's rousette

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Script Lichen	Leschenault's rousette
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Script Lichen

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia).

Leschenault's rousette

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in Taiwan. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Common Script Lichen

<em>Graphis scripta</em>, the common script lichen, is a crustose lichen in the family Graphidaceae, order Graphidales, with a cosmopolitan distribution spanning Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. This species grows as a flat, tightly attached crust on the smooth bark of deciduous trees in humid, shaded woodland habitats, where it is often among the most frequently encountered bark lichens. The distinctive feature of <em>Graphis scripta</em> is its elongated, script-like apothecia — black, slit-like fruiting bodies that resemble ancient writing and give the species its common name. As a lichen, it represents a stable mutualistic association between a fungal partner (mycobiont) and photosynthetic algal or cyanobacterial partners (photobionts). The species is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, reflecting its wide distribution and tolerance across a range of forested habitats. It is considered sensitive to air pollution, particularly sulfur dioxide, making it a useful bioindicator of air quality. Biological traits for this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature, including data on growth rates, lifespan, and detailed ecological interactions beyond its known substrate preferences.