Common Freckle Pelt Lichen vs Kurt

Peltigera aphthosa compared with Canis lupus

Key Differences

• Common Freckle Pelt Lichen is Extinct while Kurt is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Freckle Pelt Lichen	Kurt
Kingdom	Fungi (mantar)	Animalia (hayvan)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Asklı mantarlar)	Chordata (Kordalılar)
Class	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Mammalia (memeliler)
Order	Peltigerales (Peltigerales)	Carnivora (etçiller)
Family	Peltigeraceae	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)
Genus	Peltigera	Canis (Dogs & Wolves)
Species	Peltigera aphthosa	Canis lupus

Conservation Status

Common Freckle Pelt Lichen

EX — Extinct

Kurt

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~300.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Freckle Pelt Lichen	Kurt
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	13 years
Average Length	—	1.6 m
Average Weight	—	45.0 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.

Kurt

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, deserts and xeric shrublands, and tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, among 13 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Seychelles), Asia (Japan), Europe (5 countries), North America (7 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Marshall Islands, Vanuatu), and South America (5 countries). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Common Freckle Pelt Lichen

<em>Peltigera aphthosa</em> 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. <em>Peltigera aphthosa</em> 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, <em>Peltigera aphthosa</em> 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.

Kurt

The most widely distributed wild canid, gray wolves range from North America across Eurasia in diverse habitats including tundra, forests, and grasslands. Highly social animals living in family packs led by a dominant breeding pair. As keystone predators, wolves regulate prey populations and profoundly shape ecosystem structure, as demonstrated by their reintroduction in Yellowstone. Once heavily persecuted, populations are recovering in many regions.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

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