Dog using her nose to save a critically endangered mushroom

May 19, 2024 9:04 PM

In a forest in Melbourne's east, Daisy is drawn to the smell of something barely bigger than a grain of rice. Daisy is thought to be the only dog in the world using her nose to save a critically endangered mushroom.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries (7 comments total)

You know when scientists name stuff and you're like, OK, whatever? No. Google this thing. It looks like too many toes on a foot. I gasped out loud.
posted by atomicstone at 12:22 AM on May 20

she is such a pretty pup!
posted by lapolla at 12:29 AM on May 20

Neat, what Daisy's nose knows
posted by HearHere at 2:59 AM on May 20

That is a clever dog! Who's a good mushroom conservation pup? Daisy is!

Also, I love learning all the interesting things dogs can be trained to smell.
posted by carrioncomfort at 8:11 AM on May 20 [1 favorite]

And my dog isn't interested in anything except tennis balls *sigh*

(Border Collie, since you asked)
posted by 43rdAnd9th at 9:24 AM on May 20

That is a smart dog!

My dog got into an argument with his echo the other day that lasted fifteen minutes.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:00 AM on May 20 [2 favorites]

Mycologist here. That article was long on cute dogs and short on explanations of why one would worry about this fungus (lots of fungi are rare). I like this article for a better explanation. This finger fungus is a hyperparasite on another fungus with a limited host range and making the situation worse: climate change. So certainly you need a stable ecosystem to support such a specialized organism.
posted by acrasis at 4:52 PM on May 20 [5 favorites]