Okay, so here’s the most important thing I’ve learned from my field research on Banana Slugs: you don’t want to sit on them. Actually, I know a few other things about these cool gastropods. They belong to the phylum Molluska, which means they are distant cousins of some other interesting and, dare I say, squishy animals such as the octopus, abalone, and squid. Banana Slugs are the second largest species of slug in the world (the largest being the European Limax cinereoniger) and live primarily in the Pacific Northwest region. They are so named because if you squint or have been drinking they look vaguely banana-ish – they can grow to be upwards of 9 inches (25cm) and are usually yellow with brown or black spots. So far, the research is still out on whether or not they also taste likes bananas - I’m currently seeking an intern to help me investigate such unexplored scientific questions.
One of the reasons that you don’t want to sit on a Banana Slug is that they are, indeed, slimy. They secrete mucus that is, for them at least, very useful. It helps keep their skin moist and allows them to breathe - they exchange their gases through their skin rather than a mouth. It also helps them travel as the mucus coats the ground underneath them and makes it easier to move. Banana Slugs hibernate in the summers (called estivation) and use the mucus to keep them from drying out. Finally, although I don’t have an intern to test this out for certain, the mucus reportedly tastes bad and thus makes it less likely that a predator would eat them.
Banana Slugs must feel comfortable living in the open-minded Pacific Northwest as they are hermaphrodites. Apparently, what makes one Banana Slug appear sexy to another Banana Slug is the quality of their slime – it contains pheromones that attracts other slugs when they're ready for mating. If only human courtship was so easy.
So the next time you are about to sit down and notice a Banana Slug on the log you’ve chosen as a seat, you might think twice. Getting the slime out of your clothes is a pain but more importantly, slugs are useful. They help in the decomposition and recycling of the forest. They feed on decaying leaves and vegetable matter and turn it back into dirt. And the Pacific Northwest just wouldn’t be the same without dirt, or, well, slugs I guess.
