Aliens and hairy creatures.

Did you know that lichens can be found on all 7 continents? Yep, the freezing Antarctica too.
If for whatever reason the whole humanity is blown up, they will survive. Together with ants :)

Some cool info:

• They can grow on on bark, leaves, mosses, other lichens, rocks, walls, gravestones, roofs, exposed soil surfaces, rubber, bones, glass, cloth.
• It is estimated that 6–8% of Earth's land surface is covered by lichens
• There are about 20,000 known species
  _{Source and more info - Wikipedia}

The ones you see here I found growing on cork trees. Few different types in the same spot. The bark is very porous with many cracks and holes. They attach well to the surface enjoying the moist that is trapped there... while it lasts.
They stop growing suring the summer months when it is just dry and hot. In the late fall when it starts to rain they come to life again.

Some are hairy...

And some look like aliens.





The last two were on a different tree, but I can't remember what type, it could be some fruit tree.
I don't see that orange one too often. Lovely colour and lots of little hair around. They seem to prefer the long twigs - it's probably easier to catch the moist from the air that way.

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_{Shot with Nikon D5500 + Sigma 105mm lens
All photos and text are my own.}