Unprecedented: Indian Frog Grows Mushroom from Its Body

Naturalists in India discovered a golden-backed frog with a mushroom sprouting from its side, a phenomenon never documented before. The frog, found in Karnataka, is of a species known as Rao’s intermediate golden-backed frog. The cause and fate of the frog are unknown, but mycologists identified the mushroom as a common bonnet, a type of fungi that typically grows on dead wood. While the frog's prognosis is uncertain, researchers speculate on potential effects, including altered susceptibility to chytridiomycosis, a frog-killing disease.