Invent your own fungus

The challenge - to invent your own mushroom, toadstool or slime, tell us where it lives, what it's called and it's scientific name and win a book voucher worth £20 and a FSC guide to fungi! Find out what Badger had to say about the entries he liked and what he thinks about the winner.

And the WINNER is... 

RAINBOW SUPER SLIME by Maegan Spiteri (aged 10) from Cheshire.

Congratualtions Maegan! Your prize will be on it's way to you in the post soon. Badger and the Wildlife Watch team really liked the thought you'd put into this colourful species. It can defend itself from predators with its poisonous goo and perhaps even communicate with others by changing colour. And the latin name pronounciation is very helpful!

Badger's other favourites...

THE SCARY LOOKER by Aaron Page from Leicestershire.

Scientific name: Spookers lookers. Habitat: It lives in mud in rainforests. Badger said "This one really is creepy! It would stop me from eating it with those googly eyes."

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CLUSTER FINGER FANTASTICA by Theo Simpkin (aged 5) from Norfolk.

Description: Smells like a toilet. Habitat: Grows in houses in dark corners. Badger said "I hope I don't have one of these growing in my sett. It looks like it might grab me!" 

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THE BOEGY BLODGER by Isabella Newstead from London.

Scientific name: Atishue slime bloater. Habitat: The Amazon rainforests in the boggiest parts. Lifespan: 9000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years. Breeding: Mating season for one day only (28th January) and has about 10 babies. Description: Turns bright yellow with blue spots when it is mating season. Badger said "Yuck! That's really disgusting, Isabella! I like it." 

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THE BANANA FUNGUS by Timothy Ness (aged 14) from Angus. 

Habitat: The banks of the river Nile because it needs a lot of water to stay alive. Description: This deadly fungus can grow to the height of a baby horse with the width of one meter. It is deadly because when it gets to the end of autumn it peels its soft outer shell to release a deadly poison into the water. Nobody can see this poison so it can kill people who drink it by turning them inside out. It can also be useful because it stops the Nile form flooding and damaging crops. Badger said "This fungus sounds nasty - I'm glad I don't live in Egypt!" 

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THE MULTICOLOURED MARSHMALLOW by Molly Salt (aged 7) from Worcestershire.

Habitat: Found under the Marshmallow tree! Badger said "I like the idea of a Marshmallow tree and a fungus that goes with it. They sound tasty!" 

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