The East Bay Regional Park District is rolling out its annual warning like clockwork: Steer clear of wild mushrooms. With a bloom of fungi set to canvas the Bay Area's parklands, officials are putting out the usual alert for the deadly duo – the Death Cap and the Western Destroying Angel. These mushrooms aren't just toxic, as they're potentially lethal to both humans and pets if ingested.

According to the City of Alameda's Local Government Facebook page, it's particularly urgent for park-goers and pet owners to keep their eyes peeled and their mushroom-picking ambitions in check. The parks district doesn't stand for foraging in the parks, so anyone thinking they've got the chops to discern safe shrooms from dangerous doppelgangers had better think twice.

The notorious death cap, amanita phalloides, presents with a deceptive greenish-gray cap, while its equally treacherous relative, amanita ocreata, or the Western Destroying Angel, comes in a beguiling creamy white. They might look like the makings of an earthy meal, but these toxic toadstools could send you, or your four-legged friends, on a one-way trip to the vet – or worse. Don't let the pretty post-rain appearance fool you; these mushrooms can cause severe liver and kidney damage.

These fungal foes are hiding a deadly secret: amatoxins. As described in an in-depth piece by the East Bay Regional Park District's website, the symptoms might take hours to show, but don't let that delay deceive you. Initial gut-wrenching discomfort can rapidly advance to organ failure, making immediate medical attention crucial.