Beard Lichen vs Common Seal

Usnea subgracilis compared with Phoca vitulina

Key Differences

• Beard Lichen is Not Evaluated while Common Seal is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Beard Lichen	Common Seal
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (hewan)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Mammalia (mamalia)
Order	Lecanorales (Lecanorales)	Pinnipedia (Seals & Sea Lions)
Family	Parmeliaceae	Phocidae (True Seals)
Genus	Usnea	Phoca (Harbor Seals)
Species	Usnea subgracilis	Phoca vitulina

Conservation Status

Beard Lichen

NE — Not Evaluated

Common Seal

NT — Near Threatened

Population: ~500.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Beard Lichen	Common Seal
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	30 years
Average Length	—	1.7 m
Average Weight	—	80.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Beard Lichen

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Norway and United States.

Common Seal

Habitat

Typically found in diverse ecosystems where prey species are available.

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries) and North America (United States). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Beard Lichen

The Beard Lichen (Usnea subgracilis) is a species in the genus Usnea. Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Common Seal

The most widely distributed pinniped, harbor seals inhabit temperate and subarctic coastal waters of both the North Atlantic and North Pacific. Adults reach up to 130 kg and spend roughly equal time at sea hunting fish, squid, and crustaceans and hauling out on beaches or rocks to rest. Their large, expressive eyes are adapted for underwater vision in low light. Harbor seals are a critical food source for orcas, sharks, and polar bears.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇺🇸 United States