Scientists Puzzled by Mushroom Growing on a Frog

Where was the frog seen?

When scientists were looking at some frogs in India, they saw something weird on one of them. There was a tiny mushroom growing on its side! The frog was still moving around, which surprised the scientists. They wrote about it in a science journal called ‘Reptiles and Amphibians’.

Later on, they figured out the mushroom was called a Bonnet mushroom. It usually grows on old, rotting wood. They saw the frog first in June 2023 but didn't take it with them. So, it is unknown how the mushroom started growing on the frog or whether it is alive and well.

Can mushrooms grow on living organisms?

Many tiny things, like bacteria and fungi, can live with other living things and usually don't cause any problems. But sometimes they can cause infections like athlete's foot.

Still, it is unusual for a mushroom to grow on a living organism. That's because mushrooms usually need certain nutrients not usually found on animal skin. So, multiple theories are being discussed about why a frog might have a mushroom growing on its body.

What could be the reason for the frog growing a mushroom?

Experts think the rainy conditions in the Western Ghats were perfect for mushrooms to grow on the frog. Some experts believe the frog got the fungus because it had a cut or infection, giving the fungus a place to stick to.

Another scientist thinks it's like a skin infection, similar to what people can get. Someone else said that while it looks like a bonnet mushroom, it might be a different kind. Another scientist isn't sure it's even a mushroom at all.

But researchers need more information before they can say for sure what's going on with the frog.