Is this a slime mold?

[Lynn Ricks]

I found several small gel-like objects while out walking near an empty creek (it had rained recently and there was water on the grass, if that's important). They were on the grass and two smaller, slimier ones were on some wood nearby. They ranged in color from an orange-black to a very light orange, with some yellow ones as well. I took a sample of a small yellow one which is not pictured because of its small size as well as a larger orange one, both of which were on wet grass, and a tiny piece of an orange-black one that had been pulled off when I moved a stick under it. I then put them in separate 16oz deli cups with wood, moss, grass, and oats to mimic the habitat and provide food sources, then moistened them and put the cups inside a very dark area of my room. So far, I haven't noticed movement, but I thought that perhaps they had formed sclerotia and keeping the environment ideal would bring them out of hibernation. The surface of the objects is a bit reminiscent of marmalade, and they appear to be very resilient and almost rubbery. Could these be some sort of slime mold sclerotium or even a very strange plasmodium? I was thinking that it might be a Tubifera species if so. 

Pictures of the larger orange one are attached, sorry for the poor quality. I can try to get more with better lighting tomorrow if necessary. Thank you!

3/26/18 update: I am beginning to think these are not in fact slime molds, and may actually be jelly fungi. What is preventing me from reaching this conclusion is the orange organism, which has now turned into what looks quite a bit like a plasmodium after being sprinkled with water and kept in the same manner that a slime mold would be; I haven't seen any jelly fungi that look like a plasmodium. I hope to get a better photo sometime today or tomorrow.

[ian]

Hi

It's really hard to tell from the pics but if you found it on wet grass it could be some sort of slime mould  - there are a few that live on grass. It might get a bit more active if you put in the dark for a day or so

[Lynn Ricks]

Okay, thanks. Although it's in a shady spot right now, there's probably still a bit of light getting to it, so I'll try to find a shoebox or something to keep all of the light out.

[Lynn Ricks]

Update: Still no apparent movement, but the previously yellow one has turned into a dark brown-orange. It's situated atop some wood and I theorized that it could be eating bits the wood without moving, since diet can change slime molds' colors, but I don't know if wood is even edible for slime molds. The orange one has remained the same; it isn't on a log but has an oat under it.

[Lynn Ricks]

Actually, after checking further, it appears that the orange one has altered its shape to fit completely around the oat that it was on. 

[Lynn Ricks]

Ah, thanks. That makes sense about the pH.