Weird Pink Fungus Lantern Stinkhorn Pops Up in Queensland Backyard Smelling Like Dog Poop

In a Queensland backyard, a bizarre pink fungus called a lantern stinkhorn has just sprouted. It stinks like dog poop and can spew out brown substance for flies.

That Weird Pink Fungus That Smells Like Dog Poop

Australians have been shocked and "creeped out" by a strange flesh-like growth discovered in a woman's backyard.

The "awesome" discovery was made by the Queensland resident on Wednesday, August 23, at her Gladstone house. She took many images of the pink and brown object, which has a white patch on the head and is curled over at the top.

The woman recruited a variety of professionals to help corroborate her concerns to satisfy her curiosity.

She stated on a Facebook page for recognizing fungi that, to her knowledge, the growth is a Lantern Stinkhorn. She hasn't personally encountered one, therefore she finds the discovery of one in her grass that morning to be extremely cool.

The extremely shocked woman revealed that in addition to its peculiar appearance, it also had an unpleasant odor. She added that while it wasn't smelly when she discovered it this morning, but by the afternoon it definitely reeked of fresh dog poop.

The sighting sparked a range of reactions. While many platform users think it's "cool" to discover an odd, smelly fungus in the backyard, some people find it unsettling and are "creeped out."

Lantern Stinkhorn or Small Lizard's Claw

The Lantern Stinkhorn, lysurus mokusin, also known as the little lizard's claw or the ribbed lizard claw fungus, is in fact what the Queensland woman's new yard decoration, according to Professor Brett Summerell, a Sydney Botanic Gardens chief scientist.

The fungus is a native of Asia, according to Summerell, but it is also found in Australia, Europe, and North America, where it is likely an introduced species.

The lantern stinkhorn fungus has brown patches that attract flies due to its potent, unpleasant odor.

The flies pick up the gooey spores and carry them to different locations where they may germinate and form a colony.

Non-Poisonous But Better to Keep Pets Away

Dee Carter, a University of Sydney professor of microbiology, claimed that the stinkhorn's foul odor draws flies, which the species uses to help disperse its spores.

When fully grown, they exude an ugly brown substance that sticks to the fly's feet. She described how the fungus feeds on dead things, particularly rotting wood.

They can appear overnight and disappear the next day because of how swiftly they expand. They can also collapse and degrade quickly.

According to Professor Carter, Lantern Stinkhorns are frequently introduced into gardens via wood mulch.

Despite their ominous appearance, they are not poisonous and do not harm plants. In reality, because they serve as nutrient recyclers, they can be helpful, but it is safer to steer dogs away from lantern stinkhorns.