# Wolfs Milk (*lycogala*)

Wolfs Milk is a fascinating fungus that looks like a blob of jelly! It can be found in damp, wooded areas and has a unique, milky substance inside.

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Habitat:** Wolfs Milk thrives in moist, wooded environments, often found on decaying logs and leaf litter.
- **Also known as:** Lycogala, Wolf's Milk Fungus, Wolf's Milk Slime

![Wolfs Milk](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Lycogala_epidendrum_-_Pink_and_brown_slime_molds.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Benny Mazur from Toledo, OH, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lycogala_epidendrum_-_Pink_and_brown_slime_molds.jpg)

## Appearance

The Wolfs Milk is a small, pink to peach-colored globule that looks like tiny drops of liquid. It later turns greyish-brown and powdery. Its distinctive bubble-gum-like appearance makes it stand out on decaying wood.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Basidiomycota
- **Class:** Agaricomycetes
- **Order:** Russulales
- **Family:** Russulaceae
- **Genus:** Lactarius

## Interesting facts

- It's not a true fungus, but a fascinating slime mold!
- Its pink "milk" is actually a gooey, internal liquid!
- These tiny balls help recycle nutrients in forests!
- They start life as a creeping, single-celled blob!

## Special abilities

- **Color Transformer:** Wolfs Milk can change from pink liquid to grey powder because its internal structure develops spores.
- **Spore Cannon:** Wolfs Milk has a unique peridium that helps them burst to release their powdery spores into the air.
- **Shape Shifter:** Wolfs Milk can appear as a blob, then harden into a bumpy ball because it matures from a plasmodium.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 0.3-1.5 cm
- **Edible:** inedible
- **Growth Substrate:** wood
- **Season:** Spring to fall
- **Spore Color:** Pinkish-brown

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** Hay Bacillus (*Bacillus subtilis*) — Engulfed by Wolfs Milk plasmodium for nutrients.
- **Depends on:** [Northern Red Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/northern-red-oak) (*Quercus rubra*) — Thrives on the decaying wood of various oak trees.
- **Eats:** Fungus Gnat (*Bradysia impatiens*) — Larvae may feed on its spores and moist fruiting bodies.

## Traits

- [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
- [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:** 0/5 · No known danger

Do not eat this fungus, as it is not food!

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Wolfs Milk?

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 Wolfs Milk?

0.3-1.5 cm

### Is Wolfs Milk edible?

inedible

### Where is Wolfs Milk usually found?

Wolfs Milk thrives in moist, wooded environments, often found on decaying logs and leaf litter.

### What does Wolfs Milk grow on?

wood

### When is Wolfs Milk in season?

Spring to fall

### What color are Wolfs Milk spores?

Pinkish-brown

## Where to spot

- [Loftridge Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/loftridge-park) — Virginia, US · Park
- [Penn-Roosevelt State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/penn-roosevelt-state-park) — Pennsylvania, US · State Park
- [West Springfield Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/west-springfield-park) — Virginia, US · Park
- [Mount Richardson Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mount-richardson-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park
- [Mathews Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mathews-park) — Florida, US · Park

[View all places to see Wolfs Milk](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/wolfs-milk)

## 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*)

---

Source: [Wolfs Milk: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/wolfs-milk)