A deadly mushroom called the Destroying Angel, or “Fool’s Mushroom”, was recently discovered in Aurora, CO. The mushroom, spotted by local Larzarus Bell in a yard in his neighborhood, is the first deadly fungus found in the area. The mushroom had only been found 8 times before, south of Castle Rock.
Colorado Mycologist Linnea Gillman confirmed the find as the Destroying Angel, whose deadly toxins attack the liver with symptoms appearing hours later.
The Colorado Mycological Society wants people to know that touching a mushroom like this one is not dangerous- it is only deadly if ingested. However, the Society warns Aurora locals to keep a close eye on their pets because this mushroom is deadly to animals as well.
If you do happen to see one, the Society suggests that you dig it up from the roots, grabbing the cup-like sacs around the base of the stem to fully eradicate the fungus. There is an identical-looking mushroom called the Sweater Mushroom, with the only difference being that the Sweater lacks the cup-like sacs at the base of the stem.
The first report regarding mushrooms here is most welcome by me because my sencond biggest hobby after skiing is mycology. By the way, eradication of poisonous mushrooms (especially rare ones) is recommended against (and sometimes unlawful) in Europe where I live..