Cobalt Crust vs Lǎohǔ

Terana coerulea compared with Panthera tigris

Key Differences

Cobalt Crust is Not Evaluated while Lǎohǔ is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cobalt Crust	Lǎohǔ
Kingdom	Fungi (真菌界)	Animalia (动物界)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (担子菌门)	Chordata (脊索动物门)
Class	Agaricomycetes (傘菌綱)	Mammalia (哺乳動物)
Order	Polyporales (多孔菌目)	Carnivora (食肉目)
Family	Phanerochaetaceae	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Terana	Panthera (Big Cats)
Species	Terana coerulea	Panthera tigris

Conservation Status

Cobalt Crust

NE — Not Evaluated

Lǎohǔ

EN — Endangered

Population: ~4.5K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cobalt Crust

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Chile, Norway, and United States.

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.

Cobalt Crust

Cobalt crust (Terana coerulea) is a distinctive crust-forming basidiomycete fungus in the family Phlebiaceae (order Polyporales), found across a broad range spanning Europe, North America, parts of Asia, and Australasia. It grows on the underside of dead hardwood logs, branches, and fallen timber in humid woodland, forming brilliant cerulean to cobalt-blue, waxy, resupinate fruiting bodies that are among the most visually striking of all wood-decay fungi. The vivid blue coloration results from the production of a pigment called corulein or is associated with the interaction of copper with fungal metabolites. Despite its startling appearance, cobalt crust is a typical white-rot fungus that decomposes cellulose and lignin in dead wood, contributing to nutrient cycling and soil formation in forest ecosystems. It is best detected during wet autumn and winter months when fruiting is most prolific. Its IUCN conservation status is Not Evaluated, consistent with its wide distribution and occurrence in many protected woodland areas. Cobalt crust is a sought-after find by mycologists and nature photographers due to its extraordinary coloration.