Choke vs Oso Polar

Epichloe typhina compared with Ursus maritimus

Key Differences

Choke is Not Evaluated while Oso Polar is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Choke	Oso Polar
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Chordata (cordados)
Class	Sordariomycetes (Sordariomycetes)	Mammalia (mamíferos)
Order	Hypocreales (Hypocreales)	Carnivora (carnívoros)
Family	Clavicipitaceae	Ursidae (Bears)
Genus	Epichloe	Ursus (Bears)
Species	Epichloe typhina	Ursus maritimus

Conservation Status

Choke

NE — Not Evaluated

Oso Polar

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~26.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Choke	Oso Polar
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	25 years
Average Length	—	2.4 m
Average Weight	—	450.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Choke

Habitat

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

Range

Found in United States.

Oso Polar

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. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.

Oso Polar

El mayor carnivoro terrestre de la Tierra, el oso polar puede superar los 700 kg y se encuentra en el hielo marino del Artico, desde Canada hasta Rusia. Es un mamifero marino altamente especializado que depende del hielo marino para cazar focas anilladas y barbadas. Excelente nadador capaz de cubrir grandes distancias en agua abierta. Clasificado como Vulnerable, sus poblaciones soportan una presion severa por la rapida perdida de hielo marino artico debida al cambio climatico.