When you purchase through radio link on our site , we may earn an affiliate commission . Here ’s how it works .

In a freaky , never - before - see case , a lively frog was bump in India with a mushroom maturate from its skin , will scientists puzzled .

The frog — identified as Rao ’s intermediate golden - endorse Gaul ( Hylarana intermedia ) — was spotted pose among 40 other individuals from the same specie , perch on a sprig with a lily-white stalk and gray hood stick out out of its left flank .

Side of frog with mushroom sticking out of the side of its body.

Mycologists said the mushroom could be from the genus Mycena.

The uncovering was made byLohit Y.T. , a river and wetlands medical specialist at World Wildlife Fund ( WWF ) India during an expedition with friend to find reptiles and amphibians in the foothills of the Kudremukh ranges in India .

After the team share photos of the frog , mycologists said the mushroom could be from the genusMycena . Lohit and his co - writer Chinmay C Maliye documented their discovery in a new report , published Jan. 28 in the journalReptiles and Amphibians .

The group did n’t compile the toad , and it is not known whether the fungus grew from within the frog ’s eubstance or on the skin control surface . Some mycologist suspect the amphibian pick up the fungusfollowing an transmission or wound — get out a mark area that the fungus could cleave to .

Close-up image of the mushroom coming out of the body of the yellow frog.

(Image credit: Lohit Y T)

pertain : Paradoxical salientian : The jumbo tadpole that turns into a little frog

" I would guess that this is a purely trivial pelt infection withMycena , those can be sustained over a long time , [ the same ] as most fungal skin contagion in humans,“Christoffer Bugge Harder , a investigator in the University of Copenhagen ’s Department of Biology , who was not involved in the report , toldForbesabout the new finding .

The fungus did not seem to be harming the toad frog , according to the bailiwick , and it had no other visible injuries .

Another close-up of the mushroom with the leg of the frog in view.

(Image credit: Lohit Y T)

This is not the first time amphibians have encountered kingdom Fungi . Previous researchrevealed that amphibian are vulnerable to a morbific fungi calledBatrachochytrium dendrobatidis , which causes the lethal skin disease chytridiomycosis . The disease is responsible formass mortalities of amphibiansacross the man . Because of this , scientist question whether this new discovery of fungal infection could be a cause for concern .

Rao ’s intermediate golden - plump for frog are   around the size of a thumb and arenative to the Western Ghats , a batch range running parallel to India ’s west glide .

— soonest known epenthetic fungus find in ossified plant freeze in time 400 million years ago

a photo of an eye looking through a keyhole

— Horrifying pic captures moment parasitical fungus burst from huge wanderer ’s eubstance

— ' Few insect orders have been spared ' : Why death by parasite celebrate life in the timber thriving

Species in the genusMycena , meanwhile , are commonly calledbonnet mushroom . Most of these species thrive on food from deadened or decaying constitutional thing and are ordinarily foundgrowing in cluster on rotted wood .

a tiger looks through a large animal�s ribcage

Mushroomsdevelop in nutrient - ample places from fungous spores . The spores regurgitate into thin , branching filaments , and mushrooms then arise if nutrients are available . Although mostMycenaspecies are determine on dead textile , a field of study published in 2023 reported maturation of aMycenaspecies onlive plants .

hard , who was lead author of the 2023 study , said this study suggest these mushroom are in the process of an evolutionary ontogenesis and can be invaders of survive plants under favorable condition , but that live frogs are definitely not ordinary terrain .

Fungus is wiping out batrachian . These flyspeck saunas could deliver them .

a photo of burgers and fries next to vegetables

' It ’s risky for manly batrachian out there ' : Female toad frog drag and attempt to eat screaming male

The incessant surveillance of modern life could worsen our brain map in way we do n’t in full understand , disturb studies suggest

An artist�s illustration of a satellite crashing back to Earth.

a photo of a group of people at a cocktail party

A photo of the Large Hadron Collider�s ALICE detector.

An illustration of a satellite crashing into the ocean after an uncontrolled reentry through Earth�s atmosphere

A photograph of downtown Houston, Texas, taken from a drone at sunset.

an older woman taking a selfie

A photo of an Indian woman looking in the mirror