WHEN in the course of human Events, it becomes necessary….
Just a small side-trip to Borneo
byVanderleunonDecember 15, 2019
“The world is so full of a number of things, I ’m sure we should all be as happy as kings.” — Robert Louis Stevenson
“One of the most unusual fungi I’ve come across in Borneo’s rainforests is this cage fungus (Clathrus sp.). If only the smelled as nice as they looked! These are relatives of the stinkhorns (Phallaceae) and their name is well deserved. Rather than having airborne spores as most mushrooms, these utilize insects for their dispersal. The putrid rotting scent attracts flies and other insects that inadvertently carry away bits of the sticky brown slime, in which the spores are found.”
“Even though he’s missing a few legs, this beautiful long-haired huntsman spider (Gnathopalystes sp.) seems to be getting by just fine. While spiders normally have remarkable regenerative powers – growing back missing limbs slowly with each successive shedding of their skin, this particular individual is an adult male (as told by his enlarged pedipalps, the front pair of appendages on either side of his head) and as such he is near the end of his life cycle. With no more future molts ahead of him, his only objective now is to find a mate before his time is up.”
“The incredible mimicry of the Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus) is perfectly tailored for its particular microhabitat in the rainforest. While many of Madagascar’s other leaf-tailed geckos conceal themselves on the vertical trunks of trees, this species maximizes its camouflage by hiding among dead foliage, sometimes even in plain sight.”
“An endemic of Borneo, the Sabah Pit Viper (Popeia sabahi) is one of the prettiest of our venomous snakes, easily differentiated from other green vipers on the island by its distinctive red eye. It appears to favor the cooler montane forests – this specimen was resting coiled on the side of a mossy tree and had just been drenched by a passing rain shower. Photographed using only natural light.”
It is called a “Stink Horn Fungus” and is the most ghastly smelling thing I have ever encountered. I saw one in my yard and the stench was so terrible I spontaneously grabbed a shovel, dug it up, drove it to a vacant property, put it in a hole and burned it with gas, then covered it up.
RickDecember 15, 2019, 9:22 AM
I’ve seen and smelled a lot of them at Fort Myers Beach.,I disposed of the first one pretty much like ghost but then talked to a mycologist at UF about them. He was distressed that I had destroyed it and said it was pointless any way as they grow from a huge network of underground roots. He was right because a year later, in the same place, I found 10 more and 50′ away there were several hundred. You can’t beat mother nature!
Real World Address for Donations, Mash Notes and Hate Mail
Gerard Van der Leun
1692 MANGROVE AVE
APT 379
Chico, Ca 95926
Green Pants Interior by Klahn
Who Am I? by Carl Sandburg
My head knocks against the stars.
My feet are on the hilltops.
My finger-tips are in the valleys and shores of universal life.
Down in the sounding foam of primal things I reach my hands and play with pebbles of destiny.
I have been to hell and back many times.
I know all about heaven, for I have talked with God.
I dabble in the blood and guts of the terrible.
I know the passionate seizure of beauty
And the marvelous rebellion of man at all signs reading “Keep Off.”
My name is Truth and I am the most elusive captive in the universe.
Duty, Beauty, Liberty, Country, Honor, Family, Faith — Plus a few simple easy to follow rules for guys
Men saw the stars at the edge of the sea
They thought great thoughts about liberty
Poets wrote down words that did fit
Writers wrote books
Thinkers thought about it
Take it where you find it
Can’t leave it alone
You will find a purpose
To carry it on
Mainly when you find it
Your heart will be strong
About it
Many’s the road I have walked upon
Many’s the hour between dusk and dawn
Many’s the time
Many’s the mile
I see it all now
Through the eyes of a child
Take it where you find it
Can’t leave it alone
You will find a purpose
To carry it on
Mainly when you find it
Your heart will be strong
About it
[Chorus]
Lost dreams and found dreams
In America
In America
In America
Lost dreams and found dreams
In America
In America
In America
And close your eyes
Leave it all for a while
Leave the world
And your worries behind
You will build on whatever is real
And wake up each day
To a new waking dream
Take it where you find it
Can’t leave it alone
You will find a purpose
To carry it on
Mainly when you find it
Your heart will be strong
About it
[Chorus]
Change, change come over
Change come over
Talkin’ about a change
Change, change
Change come over, now
Change, change, change come over
I’m gonna walk down the street
Until I see
My shining light
I’m gonna walk down the street
Until I see
My shining light
I’m gonna walk down the street
Until I see
My shining light
I’m gonna walk down the street
Until I see
My shining light
I see my light
See my light
See my shining light
I see my light
See my light
See my shining light
“One of the most unusual fungi I’ve come across in Borneo’s rainforests is this cage fungus (Clathrus sp.). If only the smelled as nice as they looked! These are relatives of the stinkhorns (Phallaceae) and their name is well deserved. Rather than having airborne spores as most mushrooms, these utilize insects for their dispersal. The putrid rotting scent attracts flies and other insects that inadvertently carry away bits of the sticky brown slime, in which the spores are found.”
“Even though he’s missing a few legs, this beautiful long-haired huntsman spider (Gnathopalystes sp.) seems to be getting by just fine. While spiders normally have remarkable regenerative powers – growing back missing limbs slowly with each successive shedding of their skin, this particular individual is an adult male (as told by his enlarged pedipalps, the front pair of appendages on either side of his head) and as such he is near the end of his life cycle. With no more future molts ahead of him, his only objective now is to find a mate before his time is up.”
“The incredible mimicry of the Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus) is perfectly tailored for its particular microhabitat in the rainforest. While many of Madagascar’s other leaf-tailed geckos conceal themselves on the vertical trunks of trees, this species maximizes its camouflage by hiding among dead foliage, sometimes even in plain sight.”
“An endemic of Borneo, the Sabah Pit Viper (Popeia sabahi) is one of the prettiest of our venomous snakes, easily differentiated from other green vipers on the island by its distinctive red eye. It appears to favor the cooler montane forests – this specimen was resting coiled on the side of a mossy tree and had just been drenched by a passing rain shower. Photographed using only natural light.”
Gerard Van der Leun
Comments on this entry are closed.
It is called a “Stink Horn Fungus” and is the most ghastly smelling thing I have ever encountered. I saw one in my yard and the stench was so terrible I spontaneously grabbed a shovel, dug it up, drove it to a vacant property, put it in a hole and burned it with gas, then covered it up.
I’ve seen and smelled a lot of them at Fort Myers Beach.,I disposed of the first one pretty much like ghost but then talked to a mycologist at UF about them. He was distressed that I had destroyed it and said it was pointless any way as they grow from a huge network of underground roots. He was right because a year later, in the same place, I found 10 more and 50′ away there were several hundred. You can’t beat mother nature!