These magnificent creatures may not be the next Einstein, but they are much smarter than they look. Slime moulds can navigate mazes to find food, farm bacteria and even learn from their mistakes.
Slime moulds spend much of their life as a microscopic organism, too small to be seen by the naked eye. But when they're ready to reproduce, they grow rapidly and produce 'sporangia', fruiting bodies which release spores.
Fossils tell us that these bizarre creatures have existed relatively unchanged for more than 100 million years, and they play a vital part in ecosystems. Without slime moulds, the world’s soils and forests would become overrun with bacteria in a matter of days.
Take a look at these amazing images of slime moulds in their reproductive phase, all captured by UK-based photographer Andy Sands.
Physarum polycephalum
![Physarum polycephalum on the move as a single super-cell © Andy Sands/NPL Physarum polycephalum on the move as a single super-cell © Andy Sands/NPL](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/NPL_01647346-crop-343d15d.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
Comatricha nigra
![Comatricha nigra in reproductive phase. Close-up of single fruiting body (sporangium), bearing thousands of spores © Andy Sands/NPL Comatricha nigra in reproductive phase. Close-up of single fruiting body (sporangium), bearing thousands of spores © Andy Sands/NPL](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/01647411-crop-c893be7.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
Metatrichia floriformis
![Metatrichia floriformis in reproductive phase. Close-up of spore-bearing fruiting bodies (sporangia) © Andy Sands/NPL Metatrichia floriformis in reproductive phase. Close-up of spore-bearing fruiting bodies (sporangia) © Andy Sands/NPL](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/01647401-crop-fa701a7.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
Badhamia affinis
![Badhamia affinis in reproductive phase. Close-up of spore-bearing fruiting bodies (sporangia) © Andy Sands/NPL Badhamia affinis in reproductive phase. Close-up of spore-bearing fruiting bodies (sporangia) © Andy Sands/NPL](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/01647392-crop-57de6eb.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
Arcyria cinerea
![Arcyria cinerea in mature reproductive phase. Close-up of erupted fruiting bodies (sporangia), bearing thousands of spores © Andy Sands/NPL Arcyria cinerea in mature reproductive phase. Close-up of erupted fruiting bodies (sporangia), bearing thousands of spores © Andy Sands/NPL](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/01647389-crop-627636e.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
Metatrichia floriformis
![Metatrichia floriformis in mature reproductive phase. Close-up of erupted fruiting bodies (sporangia), each bearing thousands of spores © Andy Sands Metatrichia floriformis in mature reproductive phase. Close-up of erupted fruiting bodies (sporangia), each bearing thousands of spores © Andy Sands](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/01647398-crop-5dc15e8.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
Tubifera ferruginosa
![Tubifera ferruginosa in reproductive phase. Close-up of massed fruiting bodies (sporangia), bearing thousands of spores © Andy Sands/NPL Tubifera ferruginosa in reproductive phase. Close-up of massed fruiting bodies (sporangia), bearing thousands of spores © Andy Sands/NPL](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/01647386-crop-91b9952.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
Trichia decipiens
![Trichia decipiens in reproductive phase. Close-up of spore-bearing fruiting bodies (sporangia) © Andy Sands/NPL Trichia decipiens in reproductive phase. Close-up of spore-bearing fruiting bodies (sporangia) © Andy Sands/NPL](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/01647382-crop-194878b.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
Comatricha fragilis
![Comatricha fragilis in reproductive phase. Close-up of spore-bearing fruiting bodies (sporangia) © Andy Sands/NPL Comatricha fragilis in reproductive phase. Close-up of spore-bearing fruiting bodies (sporangia) © Andy Sands/NPL](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/01647349-crop-3745b09.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
Badhamia utricularis
![Badhamia utricularis in reproductive phase. Close-up of maturing fruiting bodies (sporangia), each bearing thousands of spores © Andy Sands/NPL Badhamia utricularis in reproductive phase. Close-up of maturing fruiting bodies (sporangia), each bearing thousands of spores © Andy Sands/NPL](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/01647343-crop-9f4cbb4.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
Fuligo septica (Dog vomit slime)
![Dog vomit slime mould (Fuligo septica) on dead wood © Andy Sands/NPL Dog vomit slime mould (Fuligo septica) on dead wood © Andy Sands/NPL](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/NPL_01539047-crop-8a934f3.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
Arcyria cinerea
![Arcyria cinerea in reproductive phase. Close-up of young fruiting bodies (sporangia), bearing thousands of spores © Andy Sands/NPL Arcyria cinerea in reproductive phase. Close-up of young fruiting bodies (sporangia), bearing thousands of spores © Andy Sands/NPL](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/01647387-crop-3123dd1.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
Enteridium lycoperdon (False puffball)
![The false puffball (Enteridium lycoperdon) is a common species found in the UK. It can be seen in its reproductive phase as a white swelling on dead trees © Andy Sands/NPL The false puffball (Enteridium lycoperdon) is a common species found in the UK. It can be seen in its reproductive phase as a white swelling on dead trees © Andy Sands/NPL](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/NPL_01647413-crop-eecab67.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa
![Close-up of the massed fruiting bodies (sporangia) of Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa © Andy Sands/NPL Close-up of the massed fruiting bodies (sporangia) of Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa © Andy Sands/NPL](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/NPL_01647410-crop-07e8d47.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
Arcyria denudata
![Arcyria denudata in its reproductive phase. Without slime moulds, the world’s soils and forests would become overrun with bacteria in a matter of days © Andy Sands/NPL Arcyria denudata in its reproductive phase. Without slime moulds, the world’s soils and forests would become overrun with bacteria in a matter of days © Andy Sands/NPL](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/NPL_01647408-crop-3f5603f.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
Arcyria ferruginea
![Arcyria ferruginea in its reproductive phase. Fossils tell us that slime moulds have existed relatively unchanged for more than 100 million years © Andy Sands/NPL Arcyria ferruginea in its reproductive phase. Fossils tell us that slime moulds have existed relatively unchanged for more than 100 million years © Andy Sands/NPL](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/NPL_01647390-crop-6789449.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
Physarum album
![Physarum album in its reproductive phase, with sporangia © Andy Sands/NPL Physarum album in its reproductive phase, with sporangia © Andy Sands/NPL](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/NPL_01647366-crop-c1f4a24.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
Metatrichia floriformis
![The shiny, fruiting bodies of Metatrichia floriformis look like tiny berries © Andy Sands/NPL The shiny, fruiting bodies of Metatrichia floriformis look like tiny berries © Andy Sands/NPL](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/NPL_01647363-crop-2e7e5ba.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)