Banana Slug
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| Banana slug on Stella Lake Road. |
One evening while taking a walk along Stella Lake Road near the campsite we stumbled upon a large Banana Slug (Ariolimax columbianus) making it's way slowly along the shoulder of the logging road.
Banana slugs are large, up to 25 cm (10 inches) long. Wayne used his foot to give a reference point. This one looks about 8 inches in length.
The forward part is called the mantle. On the right side there's a large circular opening. This is the pneumostome. The slug breathes through this opening.
The head has two upper optical tentacles for vision and two lower sensory tentacles for feeling and tasting. The mouth on the underside has 27,000 teeth called radula. Banana slugs eat plants, decaying matter and animal feces. They digest all of these things and return the nutrients to the soil.
The back portion is called the foot. Undulating motion and mucus (slime) allow the slug to move across the forest floor and over vegetation.
While I don't appreciate slugs in my garden, this particular variety provides a needed service in the ecology of the forests of the Pacific Northwest. -- Margy
Okay, Margy, I've given it some thought, I've tried to be open-minded, but I can't get myself to say I like slugs, even banana slugs, whose name sounds better than they look. So, do I get A for effort (I did try) or do I fail the slug test? (smiley face here)
ReplyDeleteKay
An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous
Before you decide check out the Banana Slug Mascot for the University of California, Santa Cruz. He's kinda cute. - Margy
DeleteI suspected slugs were good for something! That's why I told my friend to leave them in his yard as they might devour the cat poop he keeps getting in his yard! Of course, they may be the culpits for mowing down his lawn thyme!
ReplyDeleteThey do eat a prodigious amount, and one this size could do some real damage in a garden. Fortunately they stay in the forest, at least as far as I know. Not sure cat poop sounds all the appetizing, but a slug's got to eat. - Margy
DeleteHello, cool shots of the slug. I like the up close shot of it's tentacles. Interesting info on these slugs. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Happy Sunday, enjoy your day and new week ahead!
ReplyDeleteThanks. You never know what you might discover on a hike.
DeleteHi Margy nice article on the Banana Slug. Native slugs are good for scavenging in the woods. Guess what happened to my Mason Bees houses. I saw a Hairy Woodpecker cleaning them out. By the time I saw the pesky devil he had cleaned out both bee houses. First time that ever happened. Dang!!
ReplyDeleteMB
How terrible. I lost some last year because I left them out when it rained and they got soaked. This year I took them down and they are safely stored in the shed in an open bucket. I'll bring them back out to the houses next March. - Margy
Deletegreat micro shots. Used to hate slugs with a passion when I had a garden.
ReplyDeleteI hate slugs in my garden, but these big guys in the bush have a place in the revitalization of the environment. - Margy
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