Of all the inhabitants of our local forests, perhaps none is weirder than the slime mold. Imagine, if you will, hiking through the forest and coming upon a place where an accident has apparently occurred: either someone spilled a plate full of scrambled eggs, or perhaps they vomited. The resulting mess might be bright yellow, orange, green, or gray. Often it appears to have been smeared in one direction or another, as if someone had tried to clear it away, then gave it up as a bad job. You see, it’s not creepy enough that these things appear overnight on the forest floor—they can move!
Lovely, isn't it? This slime mold moved from the forest floor up the log (photo: Michelle Zeiger).