Physarum polycephalum slime mold. Often referred to as the "many-headed slime," this species inhabits shady, cool, moist areas, such as decaying leaves and logs. P. polycephalum is one of the easiest eukaryotic microbes to grow in culture, and has been used as a model organism for many studies involving amoeboid movement and cell motility. It has also shown a surprising amount of intelligence in laboratory tests, solving mazes and anticipating events.