Banana Slug — printable fact sheet
Free to print or save as PDF. Great for classrooms, homeschooling, and young explorers.
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Banana Slug
Ariolimax dolichophallus
The banana slug is the second-largest terrestrial slug on Earth, reaching about 25 cm, and it is essentially a walking chemistry experiment. Its slime is not merely lubricant: it contains a compound that anaesthetises tissue, so a predator that mouths a banana slug finds its ton…
Did you know?
- Banana slug slime contains chemicals that can numb the tongues of predators, making them think twice before taking another bite!
- Banana slugs sometimes practise apophallation: if the mating pair become stuck, one will gnaw off the other's penis to separate, and the amputee simply continues life as a female. It is the official mascot of the University of California, Santa Cruz, chosen by students over the administration's preferred sea lion. They breathe through a single hole on the right side of the body — the pneumostome — which you can watch open and close.
What I learned
Draw the banana slug
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