Estonian scientists seek folk names for rare slime moulds

Researchers at the Estonian University of Life Sciences are searching for Estonian folk names for around twenty of the most common slime moulds. The university's fungal collection holds over 1,200 slime mould specimens, but only three currently have folk names in Estonian.

Scientists at the Estonian University of Life Sciences (Maaülikool) in Tartu are calling on the public to help name slime moulds — peculiar organisms that sit somewhere between fungi and animals. The university's fungal collection currently holds over 1,200 slime mould specimens, yet only three of them carry traditional Estonian folk names.

The three slime moulds that already have Estonian names are colourfully descriptive: puugipask (tick dung), hundipiim (wolf's milk), and limasarvik (slime antler). Mycologists at the university hope to find similarly vivid and memorable names for around twenty of the most widespread species.

Slime moulds, known in Estonian as limakud or limaseened, are not true fungi despite often being grouped with them. They are capable of movement in their early life stages and have long fascinated scientists for their unusual biology. Giving them accessible folk names in Estonian would make them easier to discuss in nature education and public outreach.

The university is inviting nature enthusiasts, linguists, and curious members of the public across Estonia to submit name suggestions. Researchers say the best names tend to reflect the organism's appearance, habitat, or behaviour — much like the three existing names already do.