Slime molds are not plants, animals or fungi. They belong to a separate kingdom in the living world – Protista.. They behave in extraordinary ways. They can:
- Live as isolated, single cells – in which case, you would never know they were there because they are so tiny
- Or they can gather together in colonies of millions of individuals. These colonies can:
- Be slimy lumps which can move to find food (this is the state which gives them the name “Slime molds”:
- Or they can dry out somewhat and take on a relatively stable shape. This is the state of the pieces shown in the picture
The example pictured was found at the side of the upper stream beside the quarry. It is the species Fuligo septica, but is known colloquially by various names including “scrambled-egg slime” and “the dog-vomit slime”.
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