Blue-Spotted Salamander vs Clouded Agaric

Ambystoma laterale compared with Clitocybe nebularis

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Blue-Spotted Salamander	Clouded Agaric
Kingdom	Animalia (สัตว์)	Fungi (เห็ดรา)
Phylum	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Amphibia (สัตว์สะเทินน้ำสะเทินบก)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Caudata (ซาลาแมนเดอร์)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Ambystomatidae	Tricholomataceae
Genus	Ambystoma	Clitocybe
Species	Ambystoma laterale	Clitocybe nebularis

Conservation Status

Blue-Spotted Salamander

LC — Least Concern

Clouded Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Blue-Spotted Salamander	Clouded Agaric
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Blue-Spotted Salamander

Habitat

Typically found in freshwater habitats, moist forests, and wetlands.

Range

Found in United States.

Clouded Agaric

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan, and United States.

Blue-Spotted Salamander

The Blue-Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma laterale) is a species in the genus Ambystoma. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in freshwater habitats, moist forests, and wetlands.

Clouded Agaric

The clouded agaric (Clitocybe nebularis, syn. Lepista nebularis) is a large, robust saprotrophic mushroom in the family Tricholomataceae found across temperate broadleaved and mixed forests of Europe and North America. It produces pale grey to buff fruiting bodies with broad, wavy caps up to 20 cm diameter, crowded, slightly decurrent gills, and a stout stipe, typically emerging in large fairy rings or scattered groups in autumn woodland settings. The common name 'clouded' refers to the greyish, misty coloration of the cap surface. Though historically eaten in parts of Europe and considered edible when thoroughly cooked, C. nebularis is now known to contain toxic compounds and a heat-labile gastrointestinal toxin that causes illness in some individuals, and it is associated with documented poisoning cases. Its strong mealy odor is distinctive. The species is widespread and common across European deciduous forests, fruiting reliably in autumn and forming an important component of the saprotrophic fungal community responsible for decomposing accumulated leaf litter and organic matter in temperate forest ecosystems.