Welcome. My name is Eva Gordon. These are my Musings about Nature and Life. My focus will be looking at the special mutualistic relationships between animals and fungi. My book Animal Mycophiles discusses these amazing relationships.
Thursday
Animal Mycophiles: Now Available at all your favorite bookstores.
Buy At Your Favorite Bookstore (Just tap on logo)
Cover Reveal Party May 25 on Facebook for Animal Mycophiles, Critters that Hunt, Farm, Self-Medicate and get High on Fungi
My current non-fiction book focuses
on the fascinating world of animal mycophiles. While there’s a wealth of
research on human-fungal interactions, the intricate relationships between
animals and fungi remain relatively unexplored beyond academic circles. I’m
eager to shed light on this hidden world of mutualism.
I dive into three key aspects of
animal-fungal relationships: Zoochory, Mycophagy, and Fungiculture. But my exploration
doesn’t stop there. I also investigate how animals use fungi for medicinal
purposes and even for mind-altering experiences. Through captivating examples,
I’ll illustrate the symbiotic nature of these interactions, showcasing a
diverse range of animals from invertebrates to vertebrates.
Join here: Cover Reveal
Saturday
Sunday
Moles, Molecules and Mushroom Latrines
Setting: A sun-dappled clearing in the forest. Walden, a gnome with a pointed hat and a trowel in his hand, sits beside a large mound of freshly turned earth. Molly, a mole with a slightly dusty face, emerges from the tunnel entrance.
Walden: Welcome back to my interview with animal
mycophiles, critters that have a relationship with fungi. I chose interviewing
a mole, in honor of Mole’s Day an unofficial holiday celebrated on October 23 each year
from 6:02 AM to 6:02 PM. It commemorates Avogadro’s number (6.02 x 10²³), a
fundamental unit of measurement in chemistry.
The date and time are chosen because they represent the
numerical value of Avogadro’s number: 6.02 (October 2) and 10²³ (23).
Okay, I know. The chemical unit, mole has nothing to do with
the subterranean critter known as a mole. Also, moles are predatory and don’t
eat fungi. So what’s the relationship? Let’s find out by speaking to a mole
named Molly.
Good morning, Molly. Thank you for taking time out of your
subterranean explorations.
Molly: (Puffs
out her chest) Indeed, Walden! Another
tunnel network cleared and now ready for action.
Before we get started, let me clarify that we
moles are not rodents. I’m a proud
member of the Order Eulipotyphla
(formerly known as Insectivora). It includes us, shrews, hedgehogs, and a few
others.
So tell me, what are you digging up today?
Walden: I’m reading about these fascinating mushrooms that seem to have a connection with moles. It’s a field of study called myco-talpology. This science focuses on identifying and understanding the relationship between moles and the underground nests they create. It turns out that you can locate talpid mole nests by looking for the aboveground fruiting of certain mushrooms.
Molly: (Blindly looks up) Mushrooms? You gnomes and your surface-world wonders! Do tell!
Walden: (Picks up a nearby mushroom) Well, apparently, some mushrooms, like this Hebeloma radicosum, grow near mole latrines...
Molly: (Sputters) Latrines? You mean our... uh... waste disposal areas?
Diagram citation Y. Yokohata and S. Nakamura
Sagara, N. 1999.
Walden: (Chuckles) Exactly. Hyphae break down waste and share nutrients with nearby tree roots. (Ectomycorrhizal)
Molly: Oh, our cleaners.
Walden: It’s a win-win situation. The mushrooms get nutrients; the trees get nutrients, and your latrines stay... well, less latrine-y.
Molly: It’s good to
know we’re helping maintain the forest ecosystem in our own special way.
Walden: Absolutely! And who knows, maybe those same mushrooms can even tell us where your nests are located!
Molly: (She sniffs around with a worried face.) Now hold on a minute...
Walden: (Laughs) Just
teasing, my friend! But this whole tripartite symbiosis between moles,
mushrooms, and trees is quite remarkable, wouldn’t you say?
Molly: (Nods thoughtfully.) It truly is. We moles may not see much sunlight, but it seems even down here, we are connected to the outside world.
Walden: Indeed! Now, care to join me for a cup of tea?
Molly: (Sniffs the air) Can
I add some grubs to it?
Walden: (Shakes his head) Most definitely!
Molly: (Smiling) Now that’s an offer I can’t refuse.
(Walden and Monty head back towards Walden’s cozy gnome hole,
continuing their conversation.)
Naohiko Sagara, Nobuko Tuno, Yu Fukasawa, Shin-ichiro Kawada
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.10.22.513302
https://www.humanegardener.com/moles-underground-wonders/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebeloma_radicosum
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My current non-fiction book focuses on the fascinating world of animal mycophiles. While there’s a wealth of research on human-fungal intera...
