While hiking in the beautiful trails of Queensland, an Australian hiker stumbled upon something out of the ordinary. Captivated by the strange creature before him, he decided to snap a photo and share it online. Little did he know, his discovery would spark a wave of curiosity and intrigue.
Describing the creature as having a smell reminiscent of rotting flesh, the hiker posted the photo on Reddit with the caption, “WTF is this? Smells like rotting flesh.” It wasn’t long before fellow internet users joined in on the discussion, offering their own thoughts and theories.
The hiker, also known as the original poster (OP), found it challenging to convey the sickly sweet odor of decomposing corpses to those who had never experienced it firsthand. He even mentioned that he could detect the putrid stench from a distance of about 1 meter.
Netizens had mixed reactions to the mysterious creature. Some likened its appearance to something straight out of the video game Resident Evil or the eerie upside-down world of Stranger Things. However, there were those who quickly recognized the creature for what it truly was.
“That, my friend, is a Stinkhorn, a type of mushroom,” one user explained. “The smell is actually meant to attract flies for pollination.” Another person shared their own encounter with a Stinkhorn, recounting how they wanted to keep it in their yard as a cool alien plant, but their spouse wasn’t too thrilled about the idea.
Eventually, the identity of the creature was revealed by Brett Summerel, the chief botanist and research director of Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens. It turns out that the mysterious being is a starfish fungus, scientifically known as Aseroe Rubra.
According to an article in DailyMail, this fungus is commonly found in southeastern regions of Australia, including south-east Queensland, eastern New South Wales, eastern Victoria, Tasmania, and southeastern South Australia.
The fascinating discovery made by the hiker serves as a reminder that our world is full of wonders, both familiar and mysterious. So next time you’re out exploring nature, keep your eyes peeled, you never know what strange and captivating creatures you might encounter!
