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What IS that…? Is it fur? A sea urchin?! Some kind of mushroom?
This is a special life form called a slime mold. Slime molds are not fungi, not plants, not animals, and they’re not always slimy, either.
So what ARE they? Well, they’re strange, that’s for sure. Chocolate tube slime (Stemonitis splendens) is often found on decaying wood or forest floors, and the hot, humid weather we’ve been having provides the perfect conditions for slime molds to grow. This species belongs to a unique group of primitive organisms called myxomycetes that can change from tiny single cells into one large, moving mass.
Scientists have conducted many experiments with slime molds and have found that they can solve problems without having a brain or nervous system. For example, they can pulse, stretch, and move in ways that allow them to find the most efficient path through mazes.
Slime molds pose no harm to humans—just pure fascination!
Photo: Suzy Grindrod, Aldo Leopold Nature Center
#PhenologyFriday #Phenology #WIEnviroEd #NatureIsEverywhere #NatureIsForEveryone #EveryBodyOutside
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