“What are these? I noticed them on a tree in the Glen of the Downs. Niall Hanlon, Co Wicklow
The appearance of these organisms may initially make you think they are fungi, but they are actually from a distinct category of organisms known as slime moulds. Unlike fungi, these organisms do not form hyphae that infiltrate and absorb nutrients from the wood they inhabit. Instead, they develop large amounts of plasmodia, entities without cell walls, that crawl on the surfaces, devouring everything in their path. This specific type is the false puffball – Reticularia lycoperdon, which turns brown over time, ruptures, and releases thousands of spores resembling wisps of smoke.
What created these translucent, gelatin-like egg sacs in the midst of a gravel plain? Geraldine Gahan, Co Kildare
The egg sacs were deposited by a distressed female frog. On her journey to the breeding pond (the two genders hibernate separately, with males resting at the pond bottom), she unfortunately bumped into an interrupter – potentially a feline. Cats are infamous for engaging in a game of chase with their victims, and this activity would have triggered the frog to involuntarily let go of some of her eggs. It’s hoped that the frog survived the ordeal intact.
Is it possible for you to identify what this is? My dad discovered it on his car bonnet. It is approximately 30cm long. We suspect that it might be frogspawn since we’ve witnessed frogs depositing spawn nearby, but we’ve never seen frogspawn like this. Could an animal or a bird have lifted it from the pond and discarded it? Gillian Keane, Co Cork
Initial impressions suggest a type of fish due to its shape and two “eye” like features, however, the texture doesn’t match. You were near the organism and noted an uncanny resemblance to frogspawn. This is indeed vomited frog spawn. It could have been ingested by a bird, mistaking it for food and promptly expelled upon realising the error.”
Whilst walking along a farm trail in Celbridge, Co Kildare, I noticed a peculiar substance. Akin to frogspawn, except there were no dark dots seen within. As I’m aware, there’s a stream nearby teeming with frogs. I could only use my lip balm to give a size comparison! My dogs, who normally eat anything, showed no interest. Doris Coyne from Dublin provides the answer.
What was spotted is actually referred to as star snot, an endearing name given to the frog’s oviduct glands. These are typically left untouched by predators due to their unfortunate taste. In contact with wetness, they bloat, burst, and eventually dissolve into a gel-like mass. Undoubtedly, my dogs wisely decided to refrain from it.
In another location, while removing brambles from the bottom of an alder tree, I came across the tree’s roots which had peculiar nodules attached. Initially, my thoughts were that it might be a bug dwelling or possibly a species of fungus. Pauline O’Reilly from Co Galway asked what these nodules were.
These unusual nodules on alder roots are produced due to a beneficial infection by nitrogen-fixing bacteria of the Frankia genus. Such symbiotic relationship suggests that both organisms gain something. The bacteria procures sugars and other nutrients from the alder, while in return, the alder receives a usable nitrogen supply in the form of ammonia. This is possible as Frankia possesses an enzyme named nitrogenase that can directly convert nitrogen from the air into ammonia. Hence, alders are capable of thriving in damp soil, where available nitrogen levels are extremely low.