The bright red one with white spots - the fly agaric - is one of these, as is the orange saffron milk-cap.

Pictured today is one of two common species often known as slippery jacks. They get that name from their greasy caps.

The one shown is more correctly known as the weeping bolete, a name it gets from tiny white droplets that form in the porous surface underneath. These fungi have pores underneath, rather than linear, radiating gills.

It - and the true "slippery jack" - are introduced fungi that have a close affinity with pines.

Their extensive underground mycelium assists the pine roots in getting water and nutrients from the soil, while the fungus gains sugars and starches produced by the pines via photosynthesis.

The surprisingly slimy, clear, sticky cap gathers pine needles and other items that may fall onto it. These remain attached after the fungus ages and its cap dries.

The under surface of the cap starts as soft dull yellow, eventually ageing to an olive colour.

There is no ring around the stem.

The other "slippery jack" is usually more of a tan or buff colour on the top, with a ring around the upper part of the stem.

The cap colour of both species can vary considerably. Unlike those of the red fly agaric, the caps of both these species remain convex, rather than flattening out at maturity.

Groups of white-topped, pink-gilled mushrooms in grass have been prominent locally for a couple of weeks.

Not all of these are the common field mushroom, so beware of any in gardens, on nature strips or growing close together. Some people have felt unwell after consuming these.

A report of a rat with a long tail on a house verandah undoubtedly refers to the common pest rat.

The official name for this mammal is black rat, but that's not a useful name, because the animal is mostly grey-brown.

A useful way of identifying it is the length of its tail, which is longer than its combined head-and-body length.

Native rats have tails no longer than their head-body lengths, and they spend their time on or close to the ground, rather than climbing on or in buildings.

Two local species - the bush rat and the swamp rat - are not found in suburban Ballarat.

Another introduced pest is the brown rat, which seems to be uncommon in Ballarat.

Its tail is equal in length to its body, and it is a poor climber.

This small red creature (5 or 6 mm long) was seen on the ground in forest near Talbot. Is it a mite? B.W., Talbot.

This is a red velvet mite. There are a few similar species. Yours has shorter legs than some others, and it does not appear to have velvety-textured skin. Therefore, it is probably the short-haired red velvet mite, a native Australian creature.

These brightly-coloured mites hunt insects and insect eggs, with the larvae being parasitic on insects such as crickets and grasshoppers, and the adults being hunting predators, often feeding on insect eggs as well as small insects.

They are seen most often after autumn rains, when they come up from their sheltering places under the ground.

In my experience, they are uncommon. They are harmless to us.

They are not insects, differing particularly in their eight legs and their conjoined thorax and abdomen.

Questions and photos are welcome. Email to rthomas@vic.australis.com.au, or send to Roger Thomas at The Courier, PO Box 21, Ballarat, 3353.