Frog sprouts mushroom, stumps the science world

New Atlas ^ | February 15, 2024 | By Bronwyn Thompson

[Red Badger]

A healthy frog has been spotted with a tiny mushroom sprouting from the side of its body, the first time such a growth on live animal tissue has been observed. Naturally, it completely stunned scientists.

While fungi invasions are fairly common in the small-animal world, this growth appeared to be very different to the zombie parasitic types that spell bad news for their hijacked hosts.

The fungus-accessorizing Rao's Intermediate Golden-backed Frog (Hylarana inter-media) was discovered by scientists out on a nature walk at the foothills of the Kudremukh Range in India's Western Ghats mountains. Despite this species being on the small size – between one to two inches in length – its bright coloring makes it easy to spot.

[Magnum44]

[EEGator]

I saw the pic, and the Dr asking how figure 1 passed peer review…

[ViLaLuz]

I don’t see any base mycelium on the skin. This looks fake.

[Red Badger]

More pics and info at link...................

[ViLaLuz]

I did read it. Mushrooms are the fruit of mycelium. There wouldn't be a cap growing without it. It would be like a melon soaring without the vines and root. If this photo were real we'd be able to see the mycelium growing in the frog's skin, like below.

[Delta 21]

Probly spends a lot of time setting very still in damp places.

[Red Badger]

Do all mushrooms have that feature?......................

[ViLaLuz]

Melon growing, not soaring. Sorry about that. Anyway, there is a fungus Cordyceps that grows on insects. The mycelium is visible on this cricket:

[ViLaLuz]

Yes. The cap and stem you see are only the fruit of the actual fungus mycelium, which is the web that grows under the ground or in the rotting wood.

[Red Badger]

Maybe it’s under the skin......................

[ViLaLuz]

I’m skeptical. Why didn’t the scientists collect this specimen for further study? Maybe it’s a real cap that broke off a piece of rotting wood and somehow stuck to the frog in that position. By the photographer maybe? It’s a mystery.

[x]

In other news, fish sprouts bicycle.

Feminist world shocked.

[Red Badger]

More info:

https://journals.ku.edu/reptilesandamphibians/article/view/20966/19496

[ViLaLuz]

I’m just reading Cordyceps doesn’t affect amphibians. Chytrid frog’s. is the only fungus that affects frogs. It’s fatal to them, but they don’t sprout buttons with it.
https://psmag.com/environment/a-deadly-fungal-disease-is-devastating-amphibian-populations

[ViLaLuz]

Photoshopped maybe? It’s a mystery.

[steve86]

Things that make you go Hmmm...

[ViLaLuz]

I don’t think it would be possible for bonnet mushroom mycelium to grow beneath the skin and have the fruiting body break through the skin. The frog’s body doesn’t provide the right conditions for mycelium to grow. Imagine that in a human—it’s not possible. It is a very interesting mystery though. My bet is photoshop to gain notoriety.

[P.O.E.]

Bite the wax tadpole.

[Red Badger]

Remember that every time man thinks he has all the knowledge on any subject, God throws him a Black Swan or a Duck-billed Platypus just to keep him guessing..............

[wbslws]

This is not surprising, I have seen government workers who were so lazy sprout mushrooms.