I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched a documentary, or come across a YouTube video, and been shocked by how raw and – I’ll be frank – terrifying nature can be.
The truth is that many of us know very little about the world around us, and that’s okay – the world is a very, very big place, after all.
While this thought might be disconcerting to some, I think it’s also important to remember that the many hidden wonders of the world are what make this giant rock we all call home so special. Wouldn’t it be a little boring if everything looked and acted the same?
I confess to having a natural curiosity for all things “wild,” so it is hardly a surprise that I was drawn to a particular video about a fascinating species of mushroom known as the Stinkhorn Octopus.
Also known as “devil’s fingers”, it has an extremely distinctive appearance, and its path to maturity is equally captivating.
If you didn’t know this mushroom existed before reading this article, don’t worry, you’re not alone!
The mushroom is reportedly native to Australia and New Zealand, although it can now be found on other continents, including Europe and North America.
This distinctive mushroom appears to sprout from what looks like a broken egg (it’s not), before forming into a number of elongated, pink arms.
If the smelly octopus’ appearance wasn’t enough to crawl out, the fungus is said to exude the stench of rotting flesh when it reaches maturity! This is thought to be an evolutionary process to attract flies to act as spore disposal agents.
See more video below:
