Radiant Red Toadstool

Almost giving up on seeing a mushroom to photograph I saw this radiant Amanita muscaria in vivid deep red, very striking. The irregular warts or speckles on the cap are remnants of its universal veil that enclosed it when first emerging out of the soil. Age and rain may cause the red colour to fade and the warts to fall off.
It is documented that Amanita has been used for thousands of years in religious rituals, but best to leave them be and not ingest them for any reason. Symptoms linked to the use of Amanita include tremors, respiratory failure, dizziness, and paranoia. [Source: NIH National Library of Medicine]

Nikon. 105mm

crop, slight enhance Franzis, Photoshop