What’s this?

[trigger_andy]

I’ve three Samoyeds and they all love to snuffle out these things. They’re about 1-3” below ground level and in the local woodland. They seem to zero in on them and once they’ve dug it  out they’ll eat it then move onto the next one. They must dig up 10-15 each on a walk. 
 

There is no real smell to them and the insides are a very fine dark brown powder. 
 

 

 

[GarethM]

Maybe an early truffle ?.

 

Do they look to have been buried by say a squirrel beforehand and are they next to roots, aren't most fungus type things symbiotic?.

[organic guy]

Type of puff ball I think.

[Stubby]

Puff ball past its best 🙂

[Paul in the woods]

I think it's an earth ball, often confused with puff balls but not edible and considered toxic.

 

Earthballs

WWW.WILDFOODUK.COM

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There are four types of Earthball in the UK, Common Earthball (Scleroderma citrinum), Leopard Earthball (Scleroderma areolatum), Potato Earthball (Scleroderma bovista) and Scaly...

 

[trigger_andy]

It’s a hard crunchy shell.
They seem to be like this year round and always this size.

Never see them above ground and don’t see regular puff balls above ground either. 

Lots of ther mushrooms though including a good crop of Chanterelles. 
They’re always 1-3” deep and growing within a fine mat of roots.

[trigger_andy]

4 minutes ago, Paul in the woods said:

I think it's an earth ball, often confused with puff balls but not edible and considered toxic.

 

Earthballs

WWW.WILDFOODUK.COM

---

There are four types of Earthball in the UK, Common Earthball (Scleroderma citrinum), Leopard Earthball (Scleroderma areolatum), Potato Earthball (Scleroderma bovista) and Scaly...

 

This seems to be what they are! 
 

The Dogs love them and have saught them

out for the last 8 years and seem to be fine. 

[trigger_andy]

Thinking about it more and looking more into Earthballs I’m not so sure now. 
year round they are never bigger than in the pictures and generally Hazelnut/Cob sized. They certainly are not potato sized. 
The dogs eat as much of them as they can dig out.

They never go near actual Earthballs when they do grow above ground. 

[GarethM]

Is it just your dogs, or do other breeds eat them locally?.

 

Just wondering if it's something that's native to the dog breeding ?.

 

Or maybe earth balls are edible early in life, like a reverse tomato?.

Edited February 25 by GarethM

[manco]

pooh