Common Freckle Pelt Lichen vs Oso Polar

Peltigera aphthosa compared with Ursus maritimus

Key Differences

• Common Freckle Pelt Lichen is Extinct while Oso Polar is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Freckle Pelt Lichen	Oso Polar
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Chordata (cordados)
Class	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Mammalia (mamíferos)
Order	Peltigerales (Peltigerales)	Carnivora (carnívoros)
Family	Peltigeraceae	Ursidae (Bears)
Genus	Peltigera	Ursus (Bears)
Species	Peltigera aphthosa	Ursus maritimus

Conservation Status

Common Freckle Pelt Lichen

EX — Extinct

Oso Polar

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~26.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Freckle Pelt Lichen	Oso Polar
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	25 years
Average Length	—	2.4 m
Average Weight	—	450.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Freckle Pelt Lichen

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and 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.

Common Freckle Pelt Lichen

<em>Peltigera aphthosa</em> is a foliose lichen in the family Peltigeraceae, order Peltigerales, commonly known as common freckle pelt or speckled felt lichen. This species holds the conservation status of Extinct on the IUCN Red List, representing a serious loss of biodiversity. <em>Peltigera aphthosa</em> has been recorded in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and the United States. Historically, this lichen grew in cool, humid environments including boreal and montane forests, typically on mossy ground, rocks, and tree bases in old-growth habitats. Like other members of the genus Peltigera, <em>Peltigera aphthosa</em> is a tripartite lichen containing a cyanobacterial photobiont (providing nitrogen fixation) in addition to the primary green algal photobiont and fungal mycobiont, making it an ecologically significant contributor to nutrient cycling. Its large, lobed thallus was characterized by distinctive dark cephalodia — wart-like structures housing the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria. The extinction of this species underscores the vulnerability of lichens to habitat degradation, air pollution, and climate change. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway