Common Freckle Pelt Lichen vs Leao

Peltigera aphthosa compared with Panthera leo

Key Differences

Common Freckle Pelt Lichen is Extinct while Leao is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Freckle Pelt Lichen	Leao
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Chordata (cordados)
Class	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Mammalia (mamíferos)
Order	Peltigerales (Peltigerales)	Carnivora (carnívoros)
Family	Peltigeraceae	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Peltigera	Panthera (Big Cats)
Species	Peltigera aphthosa	Panthera leo

Conservation Status

Common Freckle Pelt Lichen

EX — Extinct

Leao

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~23.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Freckle Pelt Lichen	Leao
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	2.5 m
Average Weight	—	190.0 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.

Leao

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 7 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Neotropic and Oceanian realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, and Kenya. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Common Freckle Pelt Lichen

Peltigera aphthosa 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. Peltigera aphthosa 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, Peltigera aphthosa 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.

Leao

O maior felino selvagem da África, o leão pode atingir até 250 kg e é o único felídeo social, vivendo em grupos nas savanas e pastagens da África Subsaariana. Os machos se distinguem por suas icônicas juba. Como predadores de topo, regulam as populações de herbívoros e mantêm o equilíbrio do ecossistema. Classificado como Vulnerável devido à perda de habitat e ao conflito entre humanos e vida selvagem.