Australian nature always surprises people with super-huge animals or incredibly strange reptiles, and in this case, this super poisonous mushroom with a haunting appearance.

Death’s hand mushroom has the scientific name Podostroma Cornu Damae, also known as fire coral. It has such a scary shape that it reminds people of a devil’s hand rising from the ground.

This mushroom species originated in Asia, first found in China in 1895 and then existed in Korea, Japan, and the Java archipelago (Indonesia). Recently, this quite rare mushroom species seemed to be extinct until people found them in Queensland, Northern Australia.

Not only does it look scary, this mushroom is also likened to the ‘hand of death’ because it contains extremely dangerous toxins. Just touching it can cause your hair to fall out and your skin to peel off. In severe cases, it can even cause death.

It is known that fire coral grows from tree roots, containing at least 8 extremely toxic compounds that can penetrate the skin. The main toxin in this mushroom is mycotoxin trichothecene – a compound that causes unpleasant symptoms and leads to death a few days after ingestion.

This toxin affects all parts of the body but mainly the liver, kidneys, brain… causing blood cell depletion, making the victim look like they have radiation poisoning or leukemia.

Currently, there is still no cure for people infected with toxins from this fungus, so there have been many deaths from it over the years. Especially in countries with a culture of drinking herbal tea, because it looks very similar to a mushroom that can be put in tea.

The fire coral mushroom that resembles the ‘death hand’ is not the only poisonous mushroom with such a strange shape. In the world, people have “unearthed” many types of poisonous mushrooms. If you accidentally touch or eat a small amount, it is enough to put you in danger.