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Dartmoor's Devilish Delight: Rare Sighting of the Octopus Stinkhorn Fungus
31 Oct
Summary
- Rare discovery of the devil's fingers fungus in Dartmoor, Devon
- Fungus has an otherworldly, gruesome appearance and a putrid smell
- Believed to have arrived in England from Australia and New Zealand in 1914
On October 29th, 2025, a walker made a rare and eerie discovery in the Dartmoor region of Devon, England. They stumbled across a lone devil's fingers fungus, a peculiar and unsettling-looking lifeform, rising from the earth like a hand emerging from a grave.
The devil's fingers fungus, also known as the octopus stinkhorn, is a species native to Australia and New Zealand that is believed to have arrived in England over a century ago, likely hitchhiking with war supplies such as wool. This alien invader is known for its otherworldly, gruesome appearance and a putrid smell akin to rotting flesh, which attracts flies to spread its spores.
The walker's discovery was reported to a local navigation tutor, Martin Williams, who was able to pinpoint the exact location of the fungus and guide a curious nature enthusiast to the site. There, they found the devil's fingers fungus, slightly desiccated but still intact, its spindly blackened fingers twisted into a fist, emerging from a pale gelatinous shell at the base.
While Dartmoor is home to a number of species with "devil" in their names, from the devil's-bit scabious flower to the screaming swifts nicknamed "devil birds," the devil's fingers fungus surely earns that moniker the most with its truly devilish and unsettling appearance. This rare sighting is a spooky Halloween treat for those who appreciate the more peculiar wonders of the natural world.
