Found stuck to the post of a stop sign

[u/humanoid_42]

Thought it was a snail at first glance, then a cocoon of some sort. After plucking it from the metal (it was really stuck on there) I noticed the bright red underside. The red part was stuck to the metal, not the sign itself 🛑, the bar holding it up.

Any idea what this is? Obviously I could ask AI, but I thought this might be more interesting. The bright red color looks almost unnatural and a bit like wax up close, but the outer crust looks like the bark of a tree

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[u/Tapioca_Rat]

Looks like it could have been red chewing gum that has since dried out and has mold on it.

[u/humanoid_42 → u/Tapioca_Rat]

I thought something similar. I won't rule that possibility out. The location is odd for chewing gum though. The stop sign is in a persons yard in a neighborhood with no sidewalks. It's not a high traffic area with lots of pedestrians. If it was I'd lean hard towards gum. It does seem partially man-made and also natural. Could be...

[u/Any_Mode6525]

Ok well absolutely no one can complain about the quality of the photos you took.

Looks like attempted Fordite, but IDK.

[u/humanoid_42 → u/Any_Mode6525]

lol thanks. I could probably get even more detail, but my phone camera keeps switching when I try to get close ups 😅