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SauriaMami — Alien Invader of the 13th Kind
Published: 2008-06-17 03:33:44 +0000 UTC; Views: 941; Favourites: 17; Downloads: 5
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Description
this is the Many-headed Slime Mold.......taking over a beautiful fungi of the Tree Ear variety........Most slime mold are smaller than a few centimeters, but the very largest reach areas of up to thirty square meters, making them the largest undivided cells known.
The stream strand can reach speeds of up to 1.35 mm per second which is the fastest rate recorded for any organism.
for more info go to this link and read about them...fascinating stuff!
[link]
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Comments: 30
hamazing find and picture, it sure is of the 13th kind, crispy bacon and drizzled eggs 
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Hello again. You may not remember me, but I commented on your picture of a broken skeletal jaw you found, in which I inquired about the forensics concerning it.
After seeing this mold pic, I recall watching a video, similar in genre to "Planet Earth," in which it shows the amazing types and lives of plants all over the world. This mold, shown in fast-forward, grows fast, but from just learning of its actual growth rate, it amazes me to believe that such "small" things can manifest.
Could I inquire what region do you happen to live? You must be surrounded by such biodiversity, and as a scientist [specifically a chemical engineer] I am always curious about anything like this. Perhaps, on a large scale, this slime could be useful in further research. Perhaps this could be the "Dark Heart" that science fiction has warned us--maybe nanotechnology could be applied.
Any thoughts?
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It's long been discussed that slimes and even fungi has come from space...so I don't put 'science fiction' so off-base just yet. I'd read somewhere that spore is surrounded by an actual metal that can with-stand extreme cold temps...such as what is in space. And depending on the species the spore can be so microscopic or just huge (in comparison to other in it's genre)
I'm in the extreme NE corner of Kansas...and THIS was found along the Missouri River bluffs. The exact location is the remains of what was an old rock quarry that has since overgrown again.
This particular mold is INCREDIBLE! You can almost watch it move with the naked eye...I've wanted to set a timed photo relay to watch it move like the science shows have but don't have the equipment yet.
Thanx for the comment...always a fan of those who are a fan of fungi, molds and such.
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Well then, I guess we can agree on such biological extremes. But have you studied up on extremophiles. These are types of cellular fungi that exists in some of the most harshes places on Earth, such as the Artic and even Antartic.
These are the types of biological subjects NASA is even implementing for MARS and future "manned" missions for terraformation of outer planets [for colonization]. I did some study on that when I was doing a NASA project for school. Sadly, I did not win, but I managed to get some contacts with NASA associates--some in the biological and chemical fields.
It just amazes me what photography has done for us. And this freedom you have of capturing life in detail is fascinating. What I always loved about photography was the "descriptions" it naturally captures, as opposed to "prescriptions" of what is dictated--philosophy 103. :-D Wish to see more work, and I will comment on your bugs.
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wow! how did you get this shot? did you shoot it through a microscope? this is sooo cool!
it looks much better without the watermark! good job.
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this is such a complex slime...it actually sends out 'feelers' to find the food which gives it the name 'many-headed'....this grouping itself was about the size of a lemon...easily photographed without a microscope.
and i agree...much nicer without the watermark
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ith berry dithguthting!
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watermark warning!
great shot! note me when its gone so I can fav it.
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I LOVE this stuff! To know it's a single cell 'creature' that can crawl through mazes to find food.....I never get sick or bored of finding it
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i really totally agree with you
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Two rare specimens (or more... what are the little green nodules?) for the price of one.
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in my area, actually, neither are rare...just rare to find this slime attacking this species of fungi!
all the little 'nodules' are the 'arms' of the slime mold....this Many-headed wonder actually crawls around using those arms or fingers to 'taste' around for more food then stretches the rest or grows around to eat more. it's INCREDIBLE!
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Hmm... when you zoom on it, looks like internal organs with strange colors. Yuck ! Very fun !!
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lol...u got it! i was just watching some new Walt Disney movie...Earth...and they actually show a bit of this stuff as it grows...awesome!
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And impressive ^^
Oh, a new movie, I just took a look on google to see, and it seems to be a beautifull pictures movie, isn't it ?
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it is....the main 'characters' are whales, elephants, polar bears, and a few other critters thrown in for fun. the white shark is AMAZING! and all the imagery of the waterfalls is almost dizzying with how breathless it leaves u. we rented ours at that RedBox video they have around towns now...$1. a night
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I hope they'll release it in video soon here too. But I'm not dreaming, in my corner of the planet, movies take their time... 
Thanks for the info !
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isn't that just the craziest stuff? (love you're name! haha)
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It certainly is. I checked it out on wiki. Thanks, I'm quite fond of it as well. :0D
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Yes! Slime molds are just great objects of mother nature... fascinating!
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and they're STILL barely studied! i was reading about one? that could make it's way thru a maze to it's food...another that could crawl it's way out of a closed container...THIS stuff? was just.........hmmmm...
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as creepy as it seems...isn't that stuff just amazing?
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found 2 more yesterday! 1 was called Red Raspberry Slime and the other? I THINK is called Bubble gum slime mould.....not sure on that one...but the first is a BRIGHT red....u can't MISS it!
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