Health experts are warning Victorians to avoid foraging for mushrooms, as the increasingly cool weather promotes the growth of fatal varieties.

Poisonous species like death caps are growing in frequency in popular wild mushroom areas, despite being non-native to Australia.

Press PLAY to find out the potential side effects of poisonous mushrooms 

Mycologist and scientist at the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Tom May, said that identifying wild mushrooms should be left to the professionals.

“There are thousands of different kinds of mushrooms, a small number are of a good edible species and a small number are of a toxic species. But look, with mushrooms probably, we just don’t know,” May told Ross and Russel.

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