The priciest fungus in the world is a parasite that grows from a caterpillar’s head.
Subscribe! http://bit.ly/1FkxVLb ‖ Twitter! https://twitter.com/gross_science ‖ Tumblr! http://grossscience.tumblr.com/
↓Want more info?↓
NPR—Caterpillar Fungus: The Viagra of the Himalayas:
http://www.npr.org/2011/10/09/141164173/caterpillar-fungus-the-viagra-of-the-himalayas
National Geographic—Caterpillar Fungus Has Anti-Inflammatory Properties:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/121128-caterpillar-fungus-swelling-animals-science/
Cochrane—Cordyceps sinensis (a Chinese medicinal herb) for treating chronic kidney disease:
http://www.cochrane.org/CD008353/RENAL_cordyceps-sinensis-a-chinese-medicinal-herb-for-treating-chronic-kidney-disease
Science Alert—The parasitic fungus is worth more than its weight in gold:
http://www.sciencealert.com/this-parasitic-fungus-is-worth-more-than-its-weight-in-gold
Nature—Asian medicine: A Fungus in decline:
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v482/n7383/full/482035b.html
7th International Medicinal Mushroom Conference—Steps towards Sustainable Harvest of Yartsa Gunbu (Caterpillar Fungus, Ophiocordyceps sinensis):
http://mushroaming.com/sites/default/files/blog_images/Winkler%20Caterpillar%20fungus%20sustainability%20IMMC7%202013.pdf
—
Host, Animator, Editor
Anna Rothschild
Writer
Elizabeth Preston
Camera, Sound
Seeta Joseph
Quirky Idea
Music Provided by APM
FOOTAGE AND IMAGES
Caterpillar Fungus 2
Filmographer:
Rdo rje don ‘grub རྡོ་རྗེ་དོན་འགྲུབ།
(Duojieduanzhi)
Flickr/Koknor Koknor
Cordyceps sinensis in ground
Exposed 2008 and Bu Finding BarLa288
©Daniel Winkler
http://mushroaming.com
Weighing Caterpillar Fungus
Wikimedia Commons/Mario Biondi
Soup of Silkie Seahorse and Cordyceps
Wikimedia Commons/Kent Wang
Mountain yak penis, fungus as Chinese medicines
Wikimedia Commons/Angela Schmeidel Randall
Cordyceps Sinensis
Wikimedia Commons/Rafti Institute
Caterpillar Fungus Store, Central Lhasa
Flickr/Erik Törner
Duck Tales, Alice in Wonderland, Mario Gifs
Giphy
SFX
Cockroaches
Freesound/StateAardvark
(used with permission from author)
Squeak Pack/squeak_10
Freesound/Corsica_S
Jawharp Boing
Freesound/plingactivator
Swish Unwrap Fast
Freesound/goldendiaphragm
RAM_Mouth Hawk_rev_v1
Freesound/Reidedo
Male drinking slurping aaaaaaaaaaah small belch
Freesound/Anton
Tape Pulling Off Surface
Freesound/Baryy
MouthPop
Freesound/HerbertBoland
Produced by WGBH for PBS Digital Studios
source