CLOSED: Huge web ID

This is growing at the home of a friend. She says it is about 2-feet long. Any ideas except aliens?

wow that is wicked looking. Don't have a clue as to what it is

Sure wouldn't want to be around when whatever it is starts coming out!!! 2 foot is really large!

Oh Oh Oh! Is it a fungus?

Tis certainly a rather ghastly appearing beast of a growth.

Hmmmm, not sure - but has gotta be some type of tree gall.
Welllll, I use the term, 'gotta' .. somewhat loosely tho'.

It somewhat resembles an over-indulgent application of a spray can of the expanding foam sealant: still wet! .. lol ..

Here's a website that jes mite be able to assist in guidance to a proper identification of your friends' glob-ular bulky mass.
http://woodypests.cas.psu.edu/FactSheets/InsectFactSheets/html/Gouty_Oak_Galls.html

- Magpye

I was thinking gall too but so big? Maybe your friend ment to type 2" and put in 2'. Whatever it is I will sure be interested to know.

Did you find that under water. They are all over in the lake where I work. They are bullfrog eggs. The bullfrogs are at least 8" long when sitting.

Here is an egg mass that I find.

Jes a smaller 'exact' replica .. shudhave !!

Wellll .. there you are!

- Magpye

Plum forgot to say: 'WAY to go', mgarr!!


This message was edited Jul 19, 2007 11:23 AM

Wow, I think you've got it with the bullfrog eggs. I have to believe that she was a little "off" on the size, but it certainly looks like the right ID. Thanks so much for the links and tenacity. I am always amazed at the depth of knowledge among the users of this site.

Eeeeeeeeeew! Bullfrogs! That many?! WOW!

Is it at the edge of water???

No mine was under water attached to the branch.

Egg on my face. I was completely wrong. That "egg" mass I was sure to be bullfrog eggs. WRONG! This is even stranger. The egg like masses are called bryozoans. Within the jelly mass is a unique colony of plant-like animals. They have plant-like tentacles that capture micro-organisms, algae, nitrates and phosphates. Bryozoans actually filter and water.

WHAT!??!?! How FUNKY is that?? Sounds like some alien-type thing for sure! Ha ha ha!! WOW!! Do you have close-up pics? That sounds VERY interesting!!

No they aren't there anymore. But you can be sure next spring I'll be taking closer pictures. They were all along the edge of the lake. They are gone and now the lake is green. How scary is that.

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewww ... well just let me know when they come and pick you up in their giant plant-like spaceship. Ha ha! Jk. Yes, post the pics if they're back next year!

where did you get your ID info mgarr?
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/plants/plantid2/descriptions/bryozoan.html
http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/SpeciesList.asp?Group=Ectoprocts
http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/conn.river/bryozoa.html
http://nas.er.usgs.gov/taxgroup/Bryozoans/
hope that shudhave checks back often

The local naturalist who seems to know everything. He does a local TV show and I showed him the picture and he knew right away what it was. I then checked the internet. bio.umass.edu.

mgarr, thanks for your tenacity! This is great to know and next year I will be there looking for more of these. I just happened to wander here today and really appreciate you passing this along. These are way cooler than bullfrog eggs!