Plants and animals live on the Earth. So does fungus. Fungus is the name for mushrooms and living things like them. There are a lot of different types of fungus. Fungi can seem like plants but they are very different. Because their bodies are so different, scientists put them in their own group. The group is called a kingdom. Plants and animals are also kingdoms. One way that fungi are different from plants is that most of their bodies live underground. Mushrooms are like the flowers of a fungus. They are the part we see most often. Mushrooms can be found in many places. Sometimes they are colorful and sometimes they are plain or ugly. Fungi like to grow in areas with some rain and a lot of dead plants. There are a lot of fungi in a forest, but not many in a desert. Fungi grow near their food. Dead plants, animals, and dirt are food for fungi. Fungi don't need light like plants. This is why you find them in dark, smelly places. You can see mushrooms growing on dead trees. When the plant dies, the fungus uses it for food.

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