Scientists tell us that banana slugs are important species in an ecosystem since they consume detritus, including dead leaves and other plant material like mushroom spores, moss and even animal feces. Then, these industrious little dynamos, whose range is from southeast Alaska to central California, recycle their food into waste which is loaded with nutrients to fertilize the soil. Banana slugs, so called because they are often yellow with over-ripened banana-like markings, also come in other colors like green-tones with dark spots, depending on their diet.
Those who study mollusks (snails and slugs) tell us that these slugs can grow up to nine inches in length and move across the landscape at speeds of up to – wait for it – six-and-one-half inches per minute! This factoid makes them out to be one of the most sluggish (I couldn’t help it!) species on Earth.
Since slugs depend upon moisture for life, they can utilize extra slime production in dry periods, and become dormant through entering what’s called aestivation. Surprisingly enough, slug slime has been studied by scientists since slime can absorb water quickly, and up to 100 times its original volume. Slime also contains an anesthetic that numbs a predator’s mouth when it tries to eat the slug, making slugs unpalatable to many woodland creatures. Some enterprising raccoons have been known to roll a coating of dirt or detritus over a slug as a pre-dinner prep prior to consumption.
Banana slugs possess two sets of waving and retractable tentacles, with one set being their eyestalks which detect movement as well as light, and the other two, lower tentacles being chemical-detectors for touching and smelling. Luckily for the smart slug, if a tentacle is damaged or snipped off by a predator such as a snake, raccoon or other enterprising creature, it can grow back its tentacle.
Next time you are out and about in a moist and dark forest, be sure to scout around for the secretive banana slug and observe its interesting habits. Writer Willa Cather said it best, “This is happiness: to be dissolved into something completely great. “
