Yellow Paint? No! It’s Actually a Living Thing in Upstate New York

What you might think is just a yellow paint splotch or mustard, is actually alive in New York!

Have you ever been walking through your woods and seen this? It wouldn't make any sense for a painter to be way out in the woods. Unless someone is marking trees or trying to be Bob Ross that is.

You may think you'll never see something like this, but this splotch was actually found in the Ferris lake Wild Forest in Herkimer County. So what is it?

Physarum Polycephalum

A mouthful of a name is what it is. It's not a plant, animal or fungus... but instead a slime mold. Physarum Polcephalum is a native to the northeast and a plays a key role in the forest ecosystem.

It has an important job to decompose old, dead and decaying trees. The mold will spread across the tree, breaking down whatever nutrients were left. This quickly speeds up the decaying process, giving way for new life to grow in its place.

Speaking of speed, watch this mold go! It can move up to 4cm per hour, breaking down trees much faster than you'd think. The mold even has the ability to navigate mazes on its own. The Paris Zoo loves it so much, they gave the mold its own exhibit.

So next time you are out in the woods, keep an eye out for the yellow mold. And whatever you do, don't let your friends mistake it for spilt mustard.