Cinnabar Chanterelle vs loup

Cantharellus cinnabarinus compared with Canis lupus

Key Differences

• Cinnabar Chanterelle is Least Concern while loup is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cinnabar Chanterelle	loup
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (animal)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Mammalia (mammifères)
Order	Cantharellales (Cantharellales)	Carnivora (carnivores)
Family	Hydnaceae	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)
Genus	Cantharellus	Canis (Dogs & Wolves)
Species	Cantharellus cinnabarinus	Canis lupus

Conservation Status

Cinnabar Chanterelle

LC — Least Concern

loup

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~300.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cinnabar Chanterelle	loup
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	13 years
Average Length	—	1.6 m
Average Weight	—	45.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cinnabar Chanterelle

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Norway and United States.

loup

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, deserts and xeric shrublands, and tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, among 13 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Seychelles), Asia (Japan), Europe (5 countries), North America (7 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Marshall Islands, Vanuatu), and South America (5 countries). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Cinnabar Chanterelle

The cinnabar chanterelle (Cantharellus cinnabarinus) is a striking mushroom in the family Cantharellaceae, found primarily in eastern North America, from New England and the Great Lakes states south to the Gulf Coast, with records also from parts of Central America and the Caribbean. It is distinguished by its vivid cinnabar-red to orange-red coloration throughout—cap, false gills, stipe, and flesh—making it one of the most visually distinctive North American fungi. It grows in mycorrhizal association with deciduous trees, particularly oaks and beeches, in humid hardwood forest during summer and autumn. The cap is typically 2–5 centimeters across, wavy-edged, and funnel-shaped at maturity. Like other chanterelles, the cinnabar chanterelle has false gills—blunt, forking ridges rather than true blade-like gills—which is a diagnostic feature of the genus. The species is classified as Least Concern. It is edible and considered flavorful, though smaller than the golden chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius) and thus less commercially significant. Populations are dependent on intact oak and beech woodland, and the species benefits from the conservation of eastern North American deciduous forest. Some authorities also recognize this species in parts of Mexico and Guatemala, suggesting a broader range.

loup

The most widely distributed wild canid, gray wolves range from North America across Eurasia in diverse habitats including tundra, forests, and grasslands. Highly social animals living in family packs led by a dominant breeding pair. As keystone predators, wolves regulate prey populations and profoundly shape ecosystem structure, as demonstrated by their reintroduction in Yellowstone. Once heavily persecuted, populations are recovering in many regions.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇺🇸 United States