Frog and Friend?

Frog in India with mushroom growth

This is no more than a curiosity, but it caught my eye because it seemed so strange (tells you something about me, I suppose).

Look closely at this picture and you'll see that this frog in India has a mushroom growing from its side. The mushroom, a type of saprotrophic decomposer, is a species of fungus that typically gets its nutrients from dead and decaying organic matter. Yet this golden-backed frog

is very much alive! This CNN report, and linked study about this species of mushroom, provide some insight into whether this may be a mutualistic or commensal relationship.

Look long and hard enough, and nature presents all sorts of new and strange encounters.