Beard Lichen vs Cheetah

Usnea subscabrosa compared with Acinonyx jubatus

Key Differences

Beard Lichen is Not Evaluated while Cheetah is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Beard Lichen	Cheetah
Kingdom	Fungi (mantar)	Animalia (hayvan)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Asklı mantarlar)	Chordata (Kordalılar)
Class	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Mammalia (memeliler)
Order	Lecanorales (Lecanorales)	Carnivora (etçiller)
Family	Parmeliaceae	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Usnea	Acinonyx (Cheetahs)
Species	Usnea subscabrosa	Acinonyx jubatus

Conservation Status

Beard Lichen

NE — Not Evaluated

Cheetah

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~6.7K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Beard Lichen	Cheetah
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	12 years
Average Length	—	1.5 m
Average Weight	—	50.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Beard Lichen

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Norway, Portugal, and United States.

Cheetah

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 9 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Botswana, Iran, Kenya, Namibia, and Tanzania. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Beard Lichen

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

Cheetah

The fastest land animal on Earth, reaching speeds of 112 km/h over short distances across African and Iranian grasslands. Slender build with a deep chest, long legs, and distinctive black tear-stripe markings. Unlike other big cats, cheetahs vocalize with chirps and purrs. Vulnerable, with only ~7,000 remaining due to habitat fragmentation and competition with larger predators.