Choke vs Pingüino emperador

Epichloe typhina compared with Aptenodytes forsteri

Key Differences

  • Choke is Not Evaluated while Pingüino emperador is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Choke Pingüino emperador
Kingdom Fungi (Fungi) Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Ascomycota (Sac Fungi) Chordata (cordados)
Class Sordariomycetes (Sordariomycetes) Aves (Birds)
Order Hypocreales (Hypocreales) Sphenisciformes (Penguins)
Family Clavicipitaceae Spheniscidae (Penguins)
Genus Epichloe Aptenodytes (Great Penguins)
Species Epichloe typhina Aptenodytes forsteri

Conservation Status

Choke

NE — Not Evaluated

Pingüino emperador

NT — Near Threatened

Population: ~595.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Choke Pingüino emperador
Diet Carnivore
Average Lifespan 20 years
Average Length 1.1 m
Average Weight 40.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Choke

Habitat

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

Range

Found in United States.

Pingüino emperador

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 4 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

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

Choke

Choke (Epichloe typhina) is an endophytic and pathogenic fungus in the family Clavicipitaceae, phylum Ascomycota, that colonises the tissues of various cool-season grasses (Poaceae) across Europe and North America. The name refers to the disease it causes — infected grass tillers are typically 'choked' (prevented from flowering) when the fungus produces a dense, white to cream-coloured, stromata (a compact fungal structure) that surrounds the flowering stem before it can emerge, suppressing seed production. Epichloe species exist along a mutualism-parasitism continuum; some strains are biotrophic endophytes living almost entirely within grass tissues without obvious symptoms and conferring benefits to the host such as increased drought resistance and deterrence of herbivores through alkaloid production, while others — including E. typhina — are more parasitic in nature, sterilising infected host tillers. The fungus spreads via airborne ascospores produced on its stroma that infect new host plants. Related Epichloe/Neotyphodium endophytes are of great practical importance to agriculture as they produce ergot alkaloids and other compounds that can cause toxicosis in livestock grazing infected pasture grasses. As a fungal pathogen/endophyte rather than a wildlife species, it is Not Evaluated by the IUCN.

Pingüino emperador

El pingüino más grande del mundo, el pingüino emperor puede medir hasta 1,2 metros de altura y pesar 45 kg, habitando el continente antártico en algunas de las condiciones más extremas de la Tierra. Se reproduce en la oscuridad del invierno a temperaturas inferiores a -60°C, con los machos incubando un único huevo sobre sus patas bajo una bolsa de cría durante 65 días mientras las hembras están en el mar. Su comportamiento de apiñarse —haciendo circular a los individuos a través del cálido centro de grupos de miles de ejemplares— es una obra maestra de la supervivencia cooperativa.

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