Frog Pelt Lichen
Peltigera degenii
Peltigera degenii is a species of foliose lichen in the family Peltigeraceae. It was first formally described in 1927 by Hungarian lichenologist Vilmos Kőfaragó-Gyelnik.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peltigera_degenii
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Fungi
Phylum
Ascomycota
Class
Lecanoromycetes
Order
Peltigerales
Family
Peltigeraceae
Genus
Peltigera
Frog Pelt Lichen belongs to the family Peltigeraceae, order Peltigerales, within the Lecanoromycetes class.
Species Profile
Peltigera degenii is a species of foliose lichen in the family Peltigeraceae. It was first formally described in 1927 by Hungarian lichenologist Vilmos Kőfaragó-Gyelnik. The Chinese species Peltigera neodegenii is similar in appearance. Peltigera degenii has a shiny upper surface. In North America, it is a relatively rare forest species.
Frog Pelt Lichen (Peltigera degenii) is critically endangered primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized forest ecosystems. Air pollution, particularly nitrogen deposition and acid rain, severely impacts this pollution-sensitive species. Climate change further threatens the cool, humid conditions this lichen requires for survival.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
Frog Pelt Lichen (Peltigera degenii) is critically endangered primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized forest ecosystems. Air pollution, particularly nitrogen deposition and acid rain, severely impacts this pollution-sensitive species. Climate change further threatens the cool, humid conditions this lichen requires for survival.
Air pollution and nitrogen deposition
Climate change and altered precipitation patterns
Habitat loss and forest degradation
Forest management practices
Fragmentation of suitable habitat
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Frog Pelt Lichen (Peltigera degenii). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/frog-pelt-lichen