Cortes Species Highlight: Dog Vomit Slime Mould!
– by Shannon Hogan, 24 May 2023
I would argue that this particular species takes the cake for being the most peculiar species on Cortes! It looks weird, it acts weird, and all of its names are weird. It’s just a really weird creature in general. Well, actually, its first-ever recorded name was much more poetic than today’s common name: “fleur de tan” (bark flower). Maybe we could bring that name back?
To put this creature’s lifestyle most simply, it’s bright yellow and is a spongey-like blob that will just appear one day in the forest soils (or maybe your garden) and slowly ooze around looking for yummy bits of nutrients. Eventually, once it’s satisfied its cravings it will slowly degrade, become much darker in colour and then release lots of spores into the air.
Some people have discovered that slime moulds – although brainless – are quite smart! It’s very good in finding the shortest and easiest travel routes for itself and both scientists and city planners alike are actually utilizing this attribute to help in their studies of building transportation routes for trains and roads!
Click these links to learn more about Dog Vomit Slime Moulds:
Wikipedia
YouTube video1
YouTube video2
We would love to hear about and post your experiences with any of Cortes’s local flora and fauna! Please send us your short story and tell us something fun about your favourite species by reaching out to us at: friendsofcortesisland@gmail.com.
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