Behold the surreal magic and mystery of slime molds
They’re spore-sprouting, rainbow-hued marvels—neither plant nor animal—and full of fascinating surprises.
Lamproderma scintillans On a forest walk, look in damp areas for tiny, striking slime molds; these stalks topped with jewel-like spheres grow on the edge of a leaf. Andy Sands’s images in this article capture slime molds in the reproductive stage, when they’re easiest to spot.
ByMaya Wei-Haas
Photographs ByAndy Sands
Published April 10, 2023
• 2 min read
This content is Subscriber-Exclusive
You must have a National Geographic subscription to explore this article.
SUBSCRIBE NOWto get access to exclusive stories, plus a century of archives, photos, and videos. Already a subscriber?Sign In
Unlock this Nat Geo Premium content–and much more
Want to keep exploring? Unlock this exclusive story and more with Nat Geo Premium.
Japan poised to release nuclear wastewater into the Pacific
The plan to gradually discharge more than a million tons of treated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant has deeply divided nations and scientists.