Glowing fungus found in Western Ghats for the first time

In a first of its kind, a glowing fungus has been found at Tilari Conservation Reserve area in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district. According to wildlife researchers, this glowing fungus shines on the bark, trunks of old rotten trees and on moisturized leaves of forest plants.

Sindhudurg: A glowing fungus has been found for the first time at Tilari Conservation Reserve area in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district.

During the day in the Western Ghats, this fungus looks like a common fungus but at night it emits light.

According to wildlife researcher Sanjay Sawant, the fungus glows at night and emits light from it. This glowing fungus shines on the bark, trunks of old rotten trees and on moisturized leaves of forest plants.

"It's a special type of fungus. This fungus needs enough moisture to grow in the forest. This glowing fungus is usually invisible and very difficult to find them so we have to walk in the forest at night," he said.

According to environmentalist Sanjay Natekar, there are about 71 species of fungi that live in the dark world.

"They are found only in the rainy season. Their habitat is mainly on the trunks of dead trees. We have records in the forests of the Western Ghats on the border of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka. The glowing fungus produces green light at a wavelength of about 520 to 530 nm," he said.

According to Devendra Shetkar, a local, this new glowing fungi will be a major contributor to tourism. For this, the government should take the responsibility to protect them.

Experts said that there has been no study on such glowing fungus found in the Western Ghats, especially in Maharashtra. Therefore, it is necessary to undertake the study of these rare species.