Common Earthball vs Red Fox

Scleroderma citrinum compared with Vulpes vulpes

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Earthball	Red Fox
Kingdom	Fungi (균계)	Animalia (동물)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (담자균류)	Chordata (척삭동물)
Class	Agaricomycetes (주름버섯강)	Mammalia (포유류)
Order	Boletales (그물버섯목)	Carnivora (식육목)
Family	Sclerodermataceae	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)
Genus	Scleroderma	Vulpes (Foxes)
Species	Scleroderma citrinum	Vulpes vulpes

Conservation Status

Common Earthball

LC — Least Concern

Red Fox

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Earthball	Red Fox
Diet	—	Omnivore
Average Lifespan	—	5 years
Average Length	—	70 cm
Average Weight	—	6.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Earthball

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil, Chile).

Red Fox

Habitat

Typically found in a wide range of habitat types.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Cyprus, Israel), Europe (8 countries), North America (United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (Argentina).

Common Earthball

<em>Scleroderma citrinum</em>, commonly known as the common earthball or pigskin poison puffball, is a widespread ectomycorrhizal fungus in the family Sclerodermataceae, classified as Least Concern by the IUCN. The species occurs across Asia, Europe, North America, and South America, typically found on forest floors, decomposing wood, and mineral-rich acidic soils in association with hardwood and conifer tree roots. Unlike true puffballs, <em>Scleroderma citrinum</em> is considered poisonous and should not be confused with edible species. Its thick, warty outer skin ranges from yellowish-brown to ochre and encloses a dark purplish-black spore mass that matures over time. The species plays an important ecological role as a mycorrhizal partner, forming mutualistic associations with the roots of oaks, beeches, pines, and other trees, facilitating the uptake of water and nutrients by host plants in exchange for photosynthetically derived carbon. Fruiting bodies typically emerge from late summer through autumn, releasing spores through irregular cracks or a central apical opening when mature. <em>Scleroderma citrinum</em> is a host for the parasitic fungus <em>Pseudoboletus parasiticus</em>, making it ecologically significant within forest fungal communities. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Red Fox

붉은여우(Vulpes vulpes)는 지구상에서 가장 광범위하게 분포하는 야생 육식동물로, 북반구와 호주의 도입 지역 전역에 걸쳐 북극 툰드라부터 도시 환경까지 다양한 서식지에 정착했다. 붉은 갈색 털, 흰 배, 풍성한 꼬리로 알아볼 수 있다. 고도로 적응력 있는 잡식성으로 토끼, 들쥐에서 과일, 음식물 쓰레기까지 모든 것을 먹는다. 40가지 이상의 뚜렷한 발성으로 의사소통한다.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States