Fungus · GBIF taxon 5248551
Bear's Head Tooth
Hericium americanumAlso known as Bear's Head Tooth Fungus, Bear's Head Mushroom
Bear's head tooth is an eye-catching wood-decay fungus recognized by its cascading clusters of creamy white, icicle-like spines dangling from a complex, branching base. Fruiting in late summer and autumn, it acts as both a weak parasite on wounded living trees and a saprobe on fallen hardwood logs, causing a white rot that breaks down structural lignin. As the fruiting body matures, the long hanging teeth gradually turn yellowish or brown before releasing clouds of microscopic, amyloid spores into the surrounding forest.
Tooth FungusSaprobicDeciduous Woodland
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Decaying hardwood
- Lignin
- Cellulose
Predators
- Slugs
- Fungus gnat larvae
- Fungivorous beetles
ThreatsRemoval of coarse woody debris, clearcutting, and habitat fragmentation
HabitatsDeciduous and mixed temperate woodlands on dead logs, stumps, and injured living hardwoods
Life spanFruiting body persists 2–4 weeks; mycelium survives for decades inside host wood
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyHericiaceae
- SpeciesHericium americanum
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Many edible mushrooms have toxic look-alikes; never eat wild fungi based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
- Substrate Inspection: Look for cascading white spines on decaying beech, maple, or birch logs during late summer and autumn.
- Spine Examination: Distinguish from related species by checking for a branched central framework from which long teeth dangle.
- Preserving Habitat: Leave fruiting bodies intact to allow full spore dispersal and support local forest nutrient cycling.
Same Genus (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Same Genus (c) Bill Sheehan, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Bill Sheehan · cc-by-sa
Same Genus (c) Rick Mandel, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Host Tree (c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman · cc-by-sa
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