Common Earthball vs mainato-de-poupa

Scleroderma citrinum compared with Acridotheres cristatellus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Earthball	mainato-de-poupa
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (cordados)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Aves (ave)
Order	Boletales (Boletales)	Passeriformes (Songbirds)
Family	Sclerodermataceae	Sturnidae
Genus	Scleroderma	Acridotheres
Species	Scleroderma citrinum	Acridotheres cristatellus

Conservation Status

Common Earthball

LC — Least Concern

mainato-de-poupa

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Earthball	mainato-de-poupa
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

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).

mainato-de-poupa

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas within the Neotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Japan, Singapore, United Arab Emirates), Europe (7 countries), and South America (Argentina, Bolivia).

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.

mainato-de-poupa

O mainato-crestado (Acridotheres cristatellus) está classificado como Pouco Preocupante (LC) na Lista Vermelha da UICN. Amplamente distribuído e abundante na sua área de ocorrência, com populações estáveis e sem preocupações de conservação imediatas.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal