Coprophilous fungus

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Coprophilous fungi are fungi that grow on animal dung. They feed on decaying matter in the poop and produce spores that start the cycle again. Often, spores hitch a ride on plants that herbivores eat, then pass through the animal and are excreted back in the dung. The dung gives these fungi plenty of nutrients, and the fruiting bodies grow from the feces and release new spores. Some species, like Pilobolus, can shoot their spore capsules more than 2 meters away to reach new plants. The spores are thick-walled to survive digestion, and sometimes digestion helps prepare them to germinate in the dung. Dried dung can be rehydrated weeks later to fruit again. The fungi’s distribution follows where herbivores live, such as rabbits, deer, cattle, horses and sheep. Some fungi specialize on certain dung, while others can grow on many kinds or even fertile soil. Some also grow from the dung of omnivores or carnivores. Not all coprophilous fungi make mushrooms, but many do, especially in the genera Coprinopsis, Panaeolus and Deconica.