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Nice January fungi

Printed From: Reptiles and Amphibians of the UK
Category: General
Forum Name: Associated Fauna and Flora
Forum Description: A forum for plants, invertebrates and other animals associated with herpetofauna
URL: http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5278
Printed Date: 28 Mar 2024 at 6:41pm
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Topic: Nice January fungi
Posted By: chubsta
Subject: Nice January fungi
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2019 at 5:36pm
We don't seem to find anything too exciting, but thought this poor tree was pretty impressive today, not bad for Winter. Found it along the Royal Military Canal, Hythe, Kent.





Replies:
Posted By: Liz Heard
Date Posted: 25 Jan 2019 at 6:49pm


Nice that you saw them in their - short-lived - prime too. Several species can often occur together, seemingly harmoniously sharing a stump, tree or log. In reality though, they are territorial within the wood and keep each other at bay with chemical deterrents.
The orangey ones above are edible Velvet Shanks Flammulina velutipes, the classic darkest-depths-of-winter fungus. A cultivar of which is served in Japanese restaurants (and sometimes also sold in supermarkets including TESCO's) under the name 'Enokitaki' or 'Enoki'.

The lower ones are Ink Caps, and judging by size and substrate, quite possibly Coprinellus micaceus - The Glistening Ink Cap, but I can't be sure. Quite a few of the (fairly numerous lookalike) Ink Cap species require microscopic examination of the spores and other features to reliably arrive at species level. However, if you look at GIC through a hand lens, you can see the glitter-like specks on the caps that gave the fungus it's name (providing they haven't been washed off by rain). If the mushrooms are very fresh, you can sometimes observe them with the naked eye.

Roll on 2019 frog breeding frenzy and spawn!


Posted By: Suzy
Date Posted: 25 Jan 2019 at 11:32pm
Yes hurry up frogs! Went out to look in my ponds an hour ago as it's very mild here in East Devon at 10degC. I saw half a dozen palmate newts and heard a frog jump into one pond. Can't help feeling there will be some cold weather to come...

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Suz


Posted By: chubsta
Date Posted: 26 Jan 2019 at 1:13am
A few frogs in the pond this evening, saw a couple who were ‘together’ (sorry, don’t know the correct term!)

Seems a little early as there was still snow on the ground 24hours previously, think the cold weather 3xpected early next week may cool them down a bit


Posted By: Liz Heard
Date Posted: 26 Jan 2019 at 2:02pm
I would think Suzy has a good chance of being the first to see and post photos of 2019 spawn, being in warm, damp Devon. Time will tell though!


"‘together’ (sorry, don’t know the correct term!)" - they are said to be in amplexus, which despite sounding like some kind of disorder, is just a fancy Latin word for 'embrace'


Posted By: Suzy
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2019 at 11:52am
I'm not sure I'll be first Ben! My ponds are in the shade until about Valentine's Day BUT the new one is in the sun anytime there is any. so hoping for some earlier spawn in there.
Temps have dropped here overnight and we even had some sleet first thing.


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Suz


Posted By: Liz Heard
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2019 at 5:43pm
Originally posted by Suzy Suzy wrote:

I'm not sure I'll be first Ben! My ponds are in the shade until about Valentine's Day BUT the new one is in the sun anytime there is any


With lessons learned from the previous year (around 100 frogs and great big quivering swathes of spawn), i put up a temporary 'pond' to store any excess spawn. It was no more than an old liner placed on the patio and supported around the edges by a few loose house bricks, but in full sun and shallower than the adjacent 'proper' one.
The frogs immediately switched to it and this crap pond ending up staying there for a couple of years until i put in a second pool.


Posted By: Suzy
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2019 at 10:32pm
Improvisation well done!

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Suz



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