Slime Mould

I don't want to put anyone off their lunch, but this stuff is really quite exciting. I saw this delightful specimen near Sgarbh Dubh in the north of Islay.

Although fungus like, slime moulds are no longer considered a true fungus; in fact they share some of the characteristics of protozoa, a group of animals of the simplest type, each consisting of a single cell. They use spores to reproduce and they feed on micro-organisms that live in any type of dead plant material. That's about all I want to say about slime mould, but in case you're really getting into this subject, check out  http://fungus.org.uk/nwfg/ingaug00.htm for more fascinating information.

Becky