vs Lǎohǔ

Ciboria betulicola compared with Panthera tigris

Key Differences

is Not Evaluated while Lǎohǔ is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		Lǎohǔ
Kingdom	Fungi (真菌界)	Animalia (动物界)
Phylum	Ascomycota (子囊菌门)	Chordata (脊索动物门)
Class	Leotiomycetes (锤舌菌纲)	Mammalia (哺乳動物)
Order	Helotiales (柔膜菌目)	Carnivora (食肉目)
Family	Sclerotiniaceae	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Ciboria	Panthera (Big Cats)
Species	Ciboria betulicola	Panthera tigris

Conservation Status

NE — Not Evaluated

Lǎohǔ

EN — Endangered

Population: ~4.5K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute		Lǎohǔ
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	20 years
Average Length	—	3.0 m
Average Weight	—	220.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

Lǎohǔ

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Neotropic and Oceanian realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

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

Ciboria betulicola is a small cup fungus in the family Sclerotiniaceae, found in temperate Europe. Like its close relative Ciboria betulae, this species is associated with birch (Betula) and fruits on fallen catkins or other birch reproductive material in moist woodland and riparian habitats. Its fruiting bodies are stalked discomycetes with the characteristic pale to brownish cup shape of the genus, typically emerging in late spring or early summer following catkin fall. The species has not been formally assessed by the IUCN. Ciboria betulicola is distinguished from the closely related Ciboria betulae and other congeners by a combination of spore morphology, ascocarp dimensions, and substrate details, with microscopic examination required for confident identification. Saprotrophic cup fungi of this type play important ecological roles in decomposing the fine organic material of woodland floors and riparian zones, facilitating nutrient return to the soil. Records of Ciboria betulicola are relatively sparse in the mycological literature, reflecting both its small size, brief fruiting season, and the general under-recording of discomycetes compared to larger macrofungi. Its distribution is thought to track birch woodland distribution across northern and central Europe, though documentation is incomplete. Molecular phylogenetic studies have helped clarify relationships within Ciboria and Sclerotiniaceae more broadly.