The majority of species featured in these weekly editions of Fungi Friday either break down dead plant matter, parasitize plants or animals, or form crazy intricate mutualisms with other organisms. An exceedingly wide diversity of fungi carry out the different aforementioned ecological roles, so it's always exciting to come across a fungus new to me, that has evolved a different strategy. Everybody, I’d like you to meet Onygena equina, a species commonly known as the horn stalkball. It’s a keratin specialist that breaks down the horns and hoofs of sheep, horses, and cattle.