What is it?

[Reptiles101]

Can anyone tell me what these are??

 

[sharky]

Would help if we had a bit more info

What species' enclosure was it in?

 

[Tesla]

Fungus/mushrooms

 

[Reptiles101]

Oh yeah, it's a 3 foot tank that houses two Eastern blue tongues, not really sure how old they are.

 

[Shotta]

they kinda look like sperm plugs

 

[Shotta]

Fungus/mushrooms

would'nt it need to be very humid and have no light for them to grow?

 

[Reptiles101]

Should a 14 month old bluey be dropping sperm plugs, and dose that means he's old enough to breed?

 

[NickGeee]

Yep, confirms he Is a male too.
Sperm plugs usually dry quite fast though...

 

[Tesla]

Seriously? It's not a sperm plug or anything other than a type of fungus, you can clearly see 2 stems branching from it.

 

[jordo]

Definitely sperm plugs, male reptiles have two penises hence two sperm plugs. They usually dry quickly as Nick mentioned so you must have seen them just after he did it.

Seriously? It's not a sperm plug or anything other than a type of fungus, you can clearly see 2 stems branching from it.

The closest resemblance is to slime moulds but they have a different growth form, and don't have 'stems'. The fact it isn't in a damp environment also rules it out as an option.

 

[Reptiles101]

Ok thanks guys, yeah I saw him poo haha

 

[Tesla]

I think you will find even a small amount of moisture will inhabit some forms of fungus, moisture from deification is more than enough to stimulate growth of certain types of fungus.

Please do us all a favour and pick it up and tell us what it is.

 

[Bluetongue1]

They look like sperm plugs with a bit of uric acid expelled at the same time. To the right are the sperm plugs with a somewhat transluscent colour and to the left is the uric acid with its solid white colour.


The usually visible growth of fungi is in fact only the fruiting body. The bulk of any fungus is the feeding threads (called hyphae) which are in intimate contact with the organic material on which the fungus is feeding. A certain level of moisture is required to sustain the hyphae but it does vary between species. Fungi can grow in dark or light but given that in nature light usually means sunlight, and that sunlight has a drying effect, hyphae are often not present near the surface. However, in places where moisture is plentiful and reliable, fungal hyphae can be seen growing on the surface of their food source.


Blue

 

[Reptiles101]

I picked it up with gloves on (made sure of that) and they were really slimy didn't look like anything fungi...I did a google such and they look exactly the same as other sperm plugs

thanks so much blue

 

[Reptiles101]

They look like sperm plugs with a bit of uric acid expelled at the same time. To the right are the sperm plugs with a somewhat transluscent colour and to the left is the uric acid with its solid white colour.


The usually visible growth of fungi is in fact only the fruiting body. The bulk of any fungus is the feeding threads (called hyphae) which are in intimate contact with the organic material on which the fungus is feeding. A certain level of moisture is required to sustain the hyphae but it does vary between species. Fungi can grow in dark or light but given that in nature light usually means sunlight, and that sunlight has a drying effect, hyphae are often not present near the surface. However, in places where moisture is plentiful and reliable, fungal hyphae can be seen growing on the surface of their food source.


Blue

thanks Blue, is this something to be worried? about and how can I stop fungus from growing inside the tank?

 

[Bluetongue1]

I am sorry but what are you referring to by "is this"?


Fungi cells which make up the hyphae I referred to, need to secrete digestive juices into their food source and then to absorb the products of digestion for their own use. To do this means a cell has to to be intimate, unshielded contact with that food source. Cells are 100% moist and will lose water if unshielded in an environment lacking less than 100% moisture. The rate of water loss is directly dependent on the % moisture in the surrounding environment. those fungi capable of growing in drier environments do so by limiting the amount of unshielded contact and therefore the total amount of water loss which also considerably retards their overall growth rate.


The other natural factor which affects fungal growth rate is the digestibility of a given food source. New wood with many different volatile compounds is not easily digested. However, aged wood, again dependant up its chemical make up, is often much more amenable to being digested. The same is true of a range of other materials. Coir fibre is fairly stable material and not particularly amenable to fungal digestion.


The artificial addition of certain chemicals can also inhibit fungal digestion and therefore fungal growth. Not that you would use it in a viv but I am sure you would be familiar with creosote treatment of wooden post put in the ground to stop rot (fungal digestion) and termites.
Adequate ventilation should see your internal relative humidity vary around the 40% mark and that is low enough to discourage most fungal growth. It is usually not the fungi that present a problem, although release of mega amounts of spores in a confined and not well ventilated space is not particularly desirable. It is the excessive humidity of say 60% plus that is the real problem. While 60% plus humidity is great when sloughing, but it will have adverse effects on most species if maintained.


Hope that helps,
Blue


PS. The sperm plugs will have the texture of mucous; the uric acid will have the texture of crumbly mature cheese.

 

[jordo]

I think you will find even a small amount of moisture will inhabit some forms of fungus, moisture from deification is more than enough to stimulate growth of certain types of fungus.

And as you know so much about them you will also understand the amount of moisture required by slime moulds is much greater than what there is in that enclosure.