Today, if you venture into the woods, you might be in for a major surprise.
This is because British woodlands are home to an abundance of bizarre and fascinating fauna, such as a ‘blood’-oozing fungus and ducks that can leap 30-foot trees.
The Woodland Trust has released a list of the country’s most bizarre animals, such as a beetle that lives in a cocoon constructed of its excrement.
Only seven percent of the woodlands they call home are in good ecological condition, according to a recent assessment.
The foundation is advocating for increased protection of their ecosystems so that we do not have to say goodbye to phallic-shaped fungus and vampire-like bats.
Alastair Hotchkiss, the conservation adviser at the Woodland Trust, stated, “With the climate change and biodiversity problems, it is more important than ever to safeguard and restore the natural habitats of the United Kingdom.”
He continued, “These ten species are simply the tip of the iceberg – or the mushroom protruding from the soil’s immense mycelial web – when it comes to the secrets that our wooded environments conceal.”
Every species has a tale to tell, everything has a purpose, and we have so much more to learn. We must make every effort to avoid losing them.
Phallus impudicus is a species of Stinkhorn.
Typically, the foul-smelling Stinkhorn fungus is detected by smell before it is visible, but its shape may cause you to clutch your pearls as well.
Its genus name, Phallus, refers to its penis-like shape, and its species name, impudicus, is Latin for “reckless.”
Several Victorians, including Charles Darwin’s granddaughter Etty Darwin, found it so humiliating that they infamously assaulted them before they could disseminate their spores.
The fungus can reach a maximum height of 10 inches (25 cm), emits the odor of rotting flesh, and has a ‘skirt’ over its stem.
This cap’s spores adhere to the legs of insects that land on it.
In medieval times, it was used as a gout remedy and a love potion, and more recent scientific research suggests that it may be useful in treating venous thrombosis.
Bucephala Clangula – Goldeneye
In Scotland’s Cairngorms, the Goldeneye duck nests in natural cavities or ancient woodpecker nests high in trees.
Its nesting style necessitates that day-old chicks leap from as high as 30 feet up a tree while their mother screams encouragement.
This resembles the opening scene of the 1995 James Bond film “GoldenEye,” in which the iconic spy bungee jumps off the Arkhangelsk dam.
The birds were initially nested in Scotland in 1970; since then, they have been drawn to specially prepared nesting boxes placed in trees near bodies of water due to their rarity as breeders.
During the winter, diving ducks from Northern Europe move to the United Kingdom.
Usnea articulata – Sausage String Lichen
This peculiar lichen resembles a string of small sausages, as its bigger stalks grow into pieces that mimic the barbecue staple.
It can reach a maximum length of 100 centimeters (40 inches), and a 2015 study discovered that it possesses anti-cancer capabilities against human lung and breast cancer cells.
It is particularly sensitive to air quality and is generally confined to areas far from the worst industrial pollutants.
These include locations in Dartmoor, Devon, and south-west Wales where ‘fairy butcher shops’ are hung from tree branches.
Fistulina hepatica – The steak mushroom
This forest fungus resembles a raw piece of meat and even exudes a blood-like fluid when cut.
It has been used as a substitute for meat in the past, and its flavor is sour and mildly acidic.
The species is typically found in broadleaf woodland, on oak tree trunks, and occasionally on tree stumps.
It is known as an “ecosystem engineer” because it hollows out old trees and leaves the rot inside to supply food for insects and fungi, as well as nesting sites for birds.
Zygodon forsteri is sometimes known as Knothole yoke-moss.
The internationally rare Knothole yoke-moss lives in only three locations in Britain due to its dependence on microhabitats offered by only ancient and veteran trees.
These include the water-filled decay holes of ancient beech pollards in the New Forest, Epping, and Burnham Beeches near London.
According to the Woodland Trust, moss is a prime illustration of how maintaining ancient and veteran trees benefit an abundance of other species.
Hazel pot beetle (Cryptocephalus coryli)
The Hazel pot beetle is one of the rarest insects in the United Kingdom due to its dependence on forested “ecotones.”
In these places, dense woods give way to more open vegetation, including brush, health, and scattered trees.
Sherwood Forest, the legendary home of Robin Hood, is one of the few known locations where the once-common insect survives.
It forms a protective pot or cocoon out of its feces to lay eggs and house larvae.
The lichen Anaptychia ciliaris is the eagle’s claw.
This lichen resembles the talons of an eagle clinging to a tree stem because its lobes have long, curving features that resemble eyelashes.
It was once widespread in the United Kingdom before Dutch elm disease decimated elm trees, resulting in a drop of up to 80 percent since the 1980s.
The lichen is also susceptible to air pollution, including acidic sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and high ammonia enrichment.
It is presently threatened by ash dieback and is confined to a few locations in southwestern England and the Welsh border.
Ctenophora faveolate – Comb horn with wasp bands
The wasp-banded comb horn is a harmless cranefly species but mimics a wasp that may deliver a painful sting.
It inhabits ancient woodlands, where its larvae reside in the decaying wood of large, ancient trees.
It is rare in England and considerably rarer in Wales, where conservation efforts are a top priority.
Rhinolophus Hipposideros – Insignificant horseshoe bat
It is believed that this bat’s horseshoe-shaped snout focuses the echolocation pulses it generates to locate its prey.
At rest, it hangs upside down and covers its plump body with its wings, resembling the legendary vampire Dracula.
The woodlands provide both cover and an abundance of its prey, which includes small moths, midges, and mosquitoes.
Unlike many bats that roost in trees, these bats prefer to roost in caverns, mines, and stately buildings in densely forested areas.
Due in part to insecticides and famine as a result of their low body mass and limited fat reserves, they are now extinct in the United Kingdom.
Deceptive featherwork
This lustrous liverwort grows in loose cushions on the sides of rocks in moist or boulder-strewn forests of western Britain and Ireland.
The species, which is also found in the tropics, is most northerly in the British Isles.
It inhabits the rare temperate rainforests, which are threatened by numerous factors, including air pollution and invasive rhododendron.
The Woodland Trust has set a goal to map every ancient tree by 2030 and to increase the area of healthy native woodland.
This will lessen the threat of pests and disease to British flora and fauna and preserve their ecosystems.
Mr. Hotchkiss stated, “Many species, such as the knothole yoke moss and hazel pot beetle, are on the verge of extinction in the United Kingdom.”
‘They cling to life in a few remaining forests, but are threatened by habitat loss, climate change, and pollution; without conservation measures, they could vanish within a few years.
‘However, we cannot take widespread species for granted, as they can vanish with surprising speed, such as the eagle’s claw lichen.
“All is not lost, however. We can counteract a decrease in nature.
We tackled sulfur dioxide pollution, and this is aiding the recovery of some species, such as the string of sausages lichen, which is returning to areas where it has not been seen for hundreds of years. Thus, there is hope.’
