Monday, May 6, 2013

Free Pass Fridays Answer: May 3

Marsh periwinkles (Littorina irrorata) farm their own fungus in marsh grass! They prepare the grass by chewing on it to break down some of the plant fibers and then put spores into the stalks. The snails come back and harvest the fungus from the grass when its ready! To learn more, check out this article in Nature Magazine.

Snails fertilize fungal growth with their faeces

No comments:

Post a Comment