Banana Slug - Sierra Club BC
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Banana Slug

CAN BE FOUND IN:

Banana Slug

Ariolimax

Appearance

Banana slugs are one of the largest slugs in the world! They can grow up to 26 centimetres long. Banana slugs can also have 27,000 teeth on a long tooth-covered “tongue”. They come in a range of colours, from yellow to brown to black and many are mottled with black spots.

Range & Habitat

Banana slugs like a moist, cool environment and are native to the B.C. temperate coastal rainforest.

Reciprocal Relationships

Banana slugs are important decomposers in our coastal rainforest. They are nocturnal feeders, eating decaying animals, mushrooms, and plants. After feeding in the forest, nutrients from these organisms go back into the soil.

Banana slugs lay 20 to 30 eggs that look like small chicken eggs. The eggs spend winter in the ground and hatch the following spring. Young slugs spread from the nest and find their own home range, with a good supply of food and shelter. Birds, small mammals and reptiles feed on banana slugs.

People have many long-standing traditions with banana slugs. One of which is slug racing which has occurred on Bowen Island since 1977! Banana slugs use the two antennae on the top of their head to sense light changes, the bottom two are used for smelling and feeling. They also have slime which keeps them moist so they can glide along the forest floor—making them an excellent candidate for slug racing. Another tradition is kissing the banana slug, but you really shouldn’t engage in this as bacteria may harm the slug. Their slime is also an anesthetic that will numb your mouth if you lick one!

Status

COSEWIC: Not Reported
CDC: Yellow

More Imformation

If you belong to a First Nation with a story or piece of information not represented here and you would like to share more about this species, please email us at education@sierraclub.bc.ca.

Photo Credit

Canva

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