Fungi are truly remarkable things. The book Entangled Life is quite enjoyable for anyone interesting in learning more about the world of Fungi and their importance to the world.
Anyone interesting in gardening may also be interested in no-dig gardening and permaculture which help preserve the microbiology (including fungi) in the soil.
Assuming it’s not just something that got stuck on the outside, then I would imagine that the frog is immunocompromised in some way, either due to mutation or environmental exposure to something.
Split gill fungus (Schizophyllum commune), is an extremely common saprotrophic (eats dead wood) fungus that is normally completely harmless to humans. However in immunocompromised individuals, it can colonize their lungs and kill them.
I've often wondered if human hair is some how a slightly different organism. But I guess it has the same DNA as the spit from our mouth so I guess not.
(tl;dr image analysis seems to suggest the images haven't been doctored, mycologists like Alan Rockefeller believe it's most likely been dislodged and stuck to the frog's skin somehow, mycena mycelium would not colonise a frog flesh substrate)
Yeah, it's a good time =) highly recommend the app! I've learned tons about the natural world in my hometown from snapping pics while I'm walking around. The community is really friendly.
Yeah kinda weird to leave out the iNat discussion. It's a really fun photo but the consensus of "it's a piece of dirt with the mushroom on it" seems improtant if you want to publish it...
Many plants can grow in pretty any much substrate — even just water — as well.
The main issue, assuming the temperature is right, that stunts plant growth just anywhere is that usually there is not enough consistent water, and then eventually the lack of nutrients once the the plant uses its reserves from a seed.
The reason we use soil is because as a substrate, it holds water and nutrients just at the right amount where you don’t have to go out and water it every 5 minutes.
But if you find any pocket made of any material, even a fold of your skin, threw a seed in, and kept it moist by hand, you could grow cherry tomatoes.
Interesting but impossible to prove as there is not any histological research done and could be easily an artifact, or a fake.
As the skin looks healthy around the area without almost no color or texture response
...and the mushroom is displaced from a normal up-down position,
...and the frog is alive and didn't tried to remove it...
...and that we know that this genus of fungus is saprophytic and live on dead plants. Frog skin evolved to have a complex cocktail of chemicals, totally different than dead wood cellulose so, what is this mushroom eating exactly?.
my bet would be that the Mycena is growing on a wood splint in the frog body. This is the safer explanation at this moment with this data.
Mycena grow often on indoor pots at the extreme of sticks when the compost is cheap. Plant owners always are alarmed and ask about it.
I'm not against changing the paradigm but would require much more solid data than this.
Gotta book mark the article as it's an interesting take on how the world runs. From the article:
"Is There Any Meaning to This Shit Show?
Optimists generally feel a strong need to believe in a benevolent universe. Hey, I get it. The idea that we live in a universe that is pitiless and meaningless [...] is a bitter pill to swallow. It would be so much nicer to believe that we live in a benevolent universe, looking out for us and helping us along. But how can one believe in a benevolent universe that contains such extreme, pervasive, gratuitous violence, predation, and suffering?"
Yes, for a second before it loaded, I really did think I was going to see some kind of psychedelic or 1970's retro fashion. Wasn't sure what that would be doing on HN, but there have been stranger things on the front page!
It's difficult to believe the man was in no pain and did not seek medical care until he was involved in an automobile accident. I've hit my head a few times on cabinets and it would have sort of lobotomized this guy.
Regarding the pain, though, don't they say that your brain has no pain receptors? Granted, there's gotta be a difference between being awake for brain surgery and walking around like that, but...
True, but I imagine showering or bathing one's hair in that condition would be precarious proposition, one could use a bathing cap while doing rest of body but that would still leave the undamaged head parts needing a wash.
"Dead" in the "nonliving organic material" sense. It seems much easier for mycelium to survive in something incapable of an immune response vs. living tissue. And yes, largely besides the point indeed.
Anyone interesting in gardening may also be interested in no-dig gardening and permaculture which help preserve the microbiology (including fungi) in the soil.