Banana Slug
Banana slugs ooze across forest floors like slow moving traffic. In fact, a walk in the rain in the redwoods can turn sour if you are not careful where you step. Watch your feet, for these fragile little creatures are easily crushed by the weight of your step.
As decomposers, they play an important role in the ecosystem by recycling important nutrients and fertilizing the soil with their bodily waste.
Banana slugs lead interesting lives. Through evolution they have managed to liberate themselves from the burden of having to carry a heavy, clumsy shell. Instead, they protect themselves from predators by secreting a distasteful mucous. Their bright yellow coloring serves as an advertisement to predators, a warning that they are not particularly tasty to eat.
The River Otter Ecology Project is a registered 501 (c)(3) EIN #45-4997526 non-profit organization dedicated to the welfare of river otters and our watershed. We receive no government funding, and depend solely on financial support from our friends. Our organization is not affiliated with any other otter-related research group or community outreach organization.
© 2018 River Otter Ecology Project
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River Otter Ecology Project
PO Box 103
Forest Knolls, CA 94933
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