# Red-Cage Fungus (*clathrus ruber*)

The Red-Cage Fungus looks like a bright red basket! It is fun to find in the forest and has a unique shape that makes it stand out.

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 21
- **Habitat:** Forests and woodlands, often near decaying trees.
- **Also known as:** Basket Fungus, Clathrus, Red Cage

![Red-Cage Fungus](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Clathrus_ruber_444460222.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Matej Frančeškin, CC BY 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Clathrus_ruber_444460222.jpg)

## Appearance

The Red-Cage Fungus has a striking, bright red to orange-red spherical or oval body, resembling a delicate, latticework cage. Inside this net-like structure, it holds a dark, olive-green slimy substance. Its vibrant color makes it stand out vividly against the forest floor.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Basidiomycota
- **Class:** Agaricomycetes
- **Order:** Phallales
- **Family:** Phallaceae
- **Genus:** Clathrus

## Interesting facts

- Before it blooms, the Red-Cage Fungus looks like a white, jelly-filled 'witch's egg'!
- Its strong, disgusting odor, like rotting meat, helps attract flies from far away!
- The open cage design helps breezes carry its fly-attracting stink even further!
- This fungus is a relative of the stinkhorn family, known for their strong smells!

## Special abilities

- **Stink Signal:** Red-Cage Fungus can release a foul, carrion-like odor that helps them attract flies for spore dispersal.
- **Slime Shield:** Red-Cage Fungus has a protective, cage-like structure that helps them hold and protect their spore-filled slime.
- **Pop-Up Sprouter:** Red-Cage Fungus can emerge rapidly from its 'egg' stage that helps them quickly release their stinky spores.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 5-15 cm
- **Edible:** inedible
- **Size:** 5-15 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** leaf litter
- **Season:** Summer-fall
- **Spore Color:** Olive-brown

## Ecological connections

- **Symbiotic with:** Common Green Bottle Fly (*Lucilia sericata*) — attracts to disperse its smelly spores.
- **Depends on:** [English Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/english-oak) (*Quercus robur*) — decomposes its decaying leaves and wood.
- **Depends on:** [European Beech](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-beech) (*Fagus sylvatica*) — grows on its decaying wood and leaf litter.

## Traits

- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

## Collections

- [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fungi)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Red-Cage Fungus?

Compare the cap shape, the underside, the stem and base, and whether the fungus grows on wood or soil. Some fungi have gills, others pores or teeth. A cap seen only from above often hides the most useful features. Mushroom Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Red-Cage Fungus?

5-15 cm

### Is Red-Cage Fungus edible?

inedible

### How big is Red-Cage Fungus?

5-15 cm

### Where is Red-Cage Fungus usually found?

Forests and woodlands, often near decaying trees.

### What does Red-Cage Fungus grow on?

leaf litter

### When is Red-Cage Fungus in season?

Summer-fall

### What color are Red-Cage Fungus spores?

Olive-brown

## Where to spot

- [Blake Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/blake-garden) — California, US · Botanical Garden
- [Sonoma Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sonoma-botanical-garden) — California, US · Botanical Garden
- [San Mateo Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/san-mateo-arboretum) — California, US · Botanical Garden
- [Santa Barbara Botanic Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/santa-barbara-botanic-garden) — California, US · Botanical Garden
- [University of California Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/university-of-california-botanical-garden) — California, US · Botanical Garden
- [California Academy of Sciences](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/california-academy-of-sciences-california) — California, US · Zoo

[View all places to see Red-Cage Fungus](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/red-cage-fungus)

## More Fungi

- [Field Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Button Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/button-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Portobello Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/portobello-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Shiitake](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shiitake) (*Lentinula*)

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Source: [Red-Cage Fungus: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-cage-fungus)