Da xióngmāo vs Common Nut Truffle

Ailuropoda melanoleuca compared with Hymenogaster vulgaris

Key Differences

Da xióngmāo is Vulnerable while Common Nut Truffle is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Da xióngmāo	Common Nut Truffle
Kingdom	Animalia (动物界)	Fungi (真菌界)
Phylum	Chordata (脊索动物门)	Basidiomycota (担子菌门)
Class	Mammalia (哺乳動物)	Agaricomycetes (傘菌綱)
Order	Carnivora (食肉目)	Agaricales (伞菌目)
Family	Ursidae (Bears)	Hymenogastraceae
Genus	Ailuropoda (Giant Pandas)	Hymenogaster
Species	Ailuropoda melanoleuca	Hymenogaster vulgaris

Conservation Status

Da xióngmāo

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~1.9K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Common Nut Truffle

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Da xióngmāo	Common Nut Truffle
Diet	Herbivore	—
Average Lifespan	20 years	—
Average Length	1.5 m	—
Average Weight	100.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Da xióngmāo

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, temperate coniferous forests, and temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, among 7 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found in China. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Common Nut Truffle

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and United States.

Da xióngmāo

大熊猫（Ailuropoda melanoleuca）是中国特有的濒危动物，以其黑白相间的体色和几乎完全依赖竹子的食性而闻名于世。该物种保护状态为易危（VU），是国际野生动物保护的旗舰物种，其种群数量近年来有所回升。

Common Nut Truffle

Hymenogaster vulgaris, the common nut truffle, is a hypogeous (below-ground) fungus in the family Hymenogastraceae, order Agaricales. This sequestrate species produces enclosed, truffle-like fruiting bodies that mature underground and rely primarily on small mammals and invertebrates for spore dispersal, as the sporocarps never open to release spores aerially. Hymenogaster vulgaris typically forms ectomycorrhizal associations with hardwood tree species, particularly oaks and beeches, in temperate European forests. Its geographic range includes Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and the United States, reflecting a somewhat scattered distribution across temperate zones. The species is currently assessed as Data Deficient by the IUCN, indicating that insufficient information exists to evaluate its conservation status, likely because hypogeous fungi are difficult to survey and their population trends are poorly known. Biological traits such as lifespan, body size, and diet remain poorly documented for this species. As an ectomycorrhizal fungus, Hymenogaster vulgaris plays a critical role in facilitating nutrient uptake in host trees and supporting forest health across its temperate range.