Herbivore dung - Have a dung day!

[CapAndBracket]

Have made a start this morning, 4 small sandwich boxes/food containers,
one of Rabbit dung, one of deer dung, and the other two have cow dung, one sample looks fairly fresh the other old a weather beaten. All have paper towel in the bottom of containers which is well moistened. I've left the lids loose so the fungi can lift them as they grow ))

Cheers J.P.

[NickCantle]

Hope it all goes well J.P. Do keep us all posted!

[CapAndBracket]

Magnifycation 40X

Well i never expected such a speedy start, already the Rabbit droppings are producing back and yellow hatted pilobolus.sp.
The deer and cow dung appear to have little jelly spots on them, various colours.

Cheers J.P.

[Fungus Ken]

I think Pilobolus are great. It would be good if it was possible to film them firing their little black caps (sporangia) towards the light. I don't have that facility myself.

I'd love to have another go at culturing dung but I can't get out to collect any with my fractured leg. Perhaps if I leave the front door open a stray sheep may wander in... but it would have to negotiate the hazardous M60 first, so that seems a bit unlikely.

Ken

[FungiJohn]

Originally Posted by Fungus Ken

I think Pilobolus are great. It would be good if it was possible to film them firing their little black caps (sporangia) towards the light. I don't have that facility myself.

I'd love to have another go at culturing dung but I can't get out to collect any with my fractured leg. Perhaps if I leave the front door open a stray sheep may wander in... but it would have to negotiate the hazardous M60 first, so that seems a bit unlikely.

Ken

I wouldn't mind having a go at recording this Ken. I've certainly got access to the equipment ... mmm watch this space

I'd keep the door closed for sheep until your leg is better Ken. I don't think we could cope if you posted that both your legs were broken

[Fungus Ken]

Originally Posted by FungiJohn

I wouldn't mind having a go at recording this Ken. I've certainly got access to the equipment ... mmm watch this space

I think you would need high speed recording equipment to capture the actual moment.

Originally Posted by FungiJohn

I'd keep the door closed for sheep until your leg is better Ken. I don't think we could cope if you posted that both your legs were broken

I didn't realise sheep were so vindictive. I think I'll take your advice and keep the door shut.

Ken

[CapAndBracket]

well i'm sure some wabers would send you samples, a sample from the scotish herd of reindeer may be interesting.

As usual, any confidence in ID,s is going to be difficult, i have Roy watlings book (which has 2 pilobolus.sp) and the ellis+ellis seems eternaly unavailable, so may be posting a lot of microscope detail and relying on your fountain of knowledge.

Cheers J.P.

[FungiJohn]

Originally Posted by CapAndBracket

Magnifycation 40X

Well i never expected such a speedy start, already the Rabbit droppings are producing back and yellow hatted pilobolus.sp.
The deer and cow dung appear to have little jelly spots on them, various colours.

Cheers J.P.

Looks like you've dung well J.P. I think we may have some very interesting results by Easter .... I just wish I could find some dung to play with

[Leif]

Originally Posted by FungiJohn

I just wish I could find some dung to play with

Sometimes it pays to be careful what you wish for ...

[CapAndBracket]

Progress today seems to be disapearance of pilobolus.sp , and now a flock of Rhizopus. sp, on the Rabbit pellets.

For anyone interested there is a "Zygomycetes.org" on the web.

Took some photo's but they were C__p under house light. kind of fitting

Hopefully get some time in daylight on Wednesday.

Cheers J.P.

[CapAndBracket]

Found this morning on an old cowpat, maybe they will be bigger at the weekend. Any ideas.

Cheers J.P.

[CapAndBracket]

40X

Found today on cow dung, Lasiobolus cilatus, as usual photo not as good as view down microscope, hopefully you can pick out the distinctive array of bristles (setae) around the fruit body poiting upwards.

Also in photo is one specimen with a black sporangiophore on clear stem, by the sporangiophore attachment this looks to be a Pilaria.sp.

Cheers J.P.

[FungiJohn]

Some very interesting results so far JP
John

[Leif]

Originally Posted by CapAndBracket

Found this morning on an old cowpat, maybe they will be bigger at the weekend. Any ideas.

Cheers J.P.

The common one on dung is of course Peziza vesiculosa.

[CapAndBracket]

Originally Posted by Leif

The common one on dung is of course Peziza vesiculosa.

You are probably correct leif, what little i could see under the microscope didn't seem to fit to well, but this is likely due to the underdevelopment of the fruitbody. will look again at the weekend.

Cheers J.P.

[cybershot]

What a load of old c**p! Anything planned for Sunday J.P.?

David

[CapAndBracket]

The Rabbit pellets have turned into a mat of Rhizopus.sp, quite remarkable that despit how thin their stype is they can reach so far, notice sporangiophore's stuck to side of box (background).

It remains to be seen now whether this sample will turn into a mouldy mass or when this species has used up all the simple sugars in the substrate it may dissapear and something that can metabolise other nutrients in the substrate will raise its head so to speak.?

The deer pellets have not produced any pilobolus. sp yet, the freshest cow dung has produced two beetles, the old cow dung is developing quite a mass of small jelly discs which will be investigated at the weekend. So far the difference on the samples is quite remarkable, from literature i would have expected Pilobolus.sp on all samples by now, the samples are on a table in a room that does get sunlight but is unheated (so temp around 14-17 C).

Cheers J.P.

[CapAndBracket]

Originally Posted by cybershot

What a load of old c**p! Anything planned for Sunday J.P.?

David

Careful, you might tread on something rare :>))).

Cheers J.P.

[Leif]

As a mycologist once pointed out to me, fungi that are specific to dog faeces have been little studied, and clearly there is an opportunity there for some interprising individual. I am generous and will leave that field to others.

[NickCantle]

" I am generous and will leave that field to others."

LOL Leif, how kind I've not ventured into the wonderful world of dung yet. I'm still getting my head around identifying Cortinarius

Could be here some time...

[FungiJohn]

I do some times wonder when I pass all the poo bags left on branches in Clumber Park but so far I've resisted the temptation

[CapAndBracket]

40X

These tiny white fruits (like three white petals with a common root) are on the freshest cow dung. Fungi or myxomycetes !

From (Stephenson,S and Stempen,H) i should be looking for myxomycetes as the bettles that appeared are often found in association with them!

Needles to say as i catch beetles, they are put outside, they could be causing the skew in results by eating the crop. :>((.

Cheers J.P.

[Leif]

Originally Posted by FungiJohn

I do some times wonder when I pass all the poo bags left on branches in Clumber Park but so far I've resisted the temptation

I've always though the Billie Holliday song Strange Fruit could be updated ...

[CapAndBracket]

Jelly discs (tiny) on old cow dung.

I know another awful photo, one thought about these is how well camoflaged they are colour wise, does this suggest they dont wish to be eaten by for instance birds as a means of spreading their spores, this is in stark contrast to the Scarlet elf caps, which could hardly make themselves more obvious, is there a reason or is it just co-incidence?

Report from fresh cow dung, two beetles and three fat maggots, iv'e released them into the wilderness (well put outside).

Cheers J.P.