Living BeingsCompare species
Red Cage Fungus
Clathrus ruber
African Golden Cat
Caracal auratus
How to compare two organisms
Choose two species and trace their closest shared group. Then compare a trait with the same definition on each side. Check the units, life stage and context before interpreting a measurement or range.
Missing data means that the collection lacks a sourced value. Where a characteristic does not apply to a lineage, the comparison labels it separately. Open the two profiles for context and follow their sources before drawing a conclusion.
Evidence from the profiles
Compare their characteristics
| Trait | Red Cage Fungus | African Golden Cat |
|---|---|---|
| Physical traits | The expanded fruiting body is a reddish cage of interconnected branches. Dark, slimy gleba lies on portions of the inner structure. | The body is robust and the coat varies between reddish and grayish forms. Spotting can be more visible on some parts of the body. |
| Habitat and range | Decaying organic material, garden mulch and similar substrates support its feeding mycelium. | Dense African forest and secondary growth provide cover and hunting habitat. |
| Diet and nutrition | The fungus obtains carbon by decomposing organic material. It is not a photosynthetic plant despite the vivid color of its fruiting body. | Rodents and other forest mammals are important prey. Birds and additional small animals may also be taken. |
| Behavior and activity | Odor attracts flies and other insects, which contact the gleba and can move spores away from the fruiting body. | It is generally solitary and difficult to observe in dense cover. Sparse observations should not be treated as a complete account of its daily behavior. |
| Reproduction and life cycle | A closed, egg-like immature structure opens as the lattice expands. The mature fruiting body exposes the spore-bearing material. | Data unavailable |
| Geographic distribution | Data unavailable | The Mammal Diversity Database v2.5 records this species in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Benin?, Burundi?, Gambia?, Guinea-Bissau?, Kenya?, Rwanda?, Senegal?, Sudan?, Togo?. |
| Ecological role | Insect-assisted dispersal offers an alternative to relying only on spores dropping from ordinary mushroom gills. | Data unavailable |
| Distinctive adaptations | The open lattice exposes a large amount of the reproductive surface. Related cage and basket stinkhorns can resemble it, so shape and source identification matter. | Data unavailable |
Classification
Shared ancestry
Closest shared taxon: Opisthokonta.