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Mighty Mushrooms

AMAZING MUSHROOMS Join TFK on a mushroom hunt! ALEKSANDER RUBTSOV—GETTY IMAGES

Mushrooms are not animals, of course. But they’re not plants either. Mushrooms are a type of fungus. They grow in the grass and on trees. They grow on dead leaves and rotting rotting CAVAN IMAGES—GETTY IMAGES decaying (adjective) My brother's bedroom smells like rotting garbage. logs. Let’s go on a mushroom hunt!

There are many types of mushrooms.

ANNABELLE BREAKEY—GETTY IMAGES

They come in different shapes, sizes, and colors. Some are good to eat.

Watch out!

REINHARD HOLZL

Some mushrooms are poisonous poisonous DEBRA BARDOWICKS/GETTY IMAGES causing sickness or death by entering or touching the body (adjective) Chocolate can be poisonous to a dog. . They can make you very sick. Some can even be deadly.

Meet a forager.

NILS HENDRIK MUELLER—GETTY IMAGES

A forager hunts for things to eat in the wild. This one is looking for mushrooms. She knows where to spot them. An experienced forager knows which mushrooms are safe to eat.

Mushrooms have spores.

ALEXANDRA ARCISZEWSKI—EYEEM/GETTY IMAGES

Spores are like tiny seeds. Spores are carried by the wind. New mushrooms can grow where they land.

Did You Know?

These mushrooms make bright-blue milk.

JANE MCBRIDE—GETTY IMAGES

These mushrooms glow in the dark.

LANCE@ANCELPICS/GETTY IMAGES

This mushroom smells like rotting meat. Yuck!

ARTERRA/GETTY IMAGES