Banana slugs are the clean-up crew of redwood forests, speeding up decomposition and helping to recycle nutrients. These charismatic gastropods eat almost anything in the forest but ignore growing redwood saplings. As the redwoods grow taller and more massive, they create a cooler microclimate in the forest beneath them, giving banana slugs the cool, moist, shady atmosphere they need to thrive. 🐌 🍌 Video by E. McKisson / Redwood National and State Parks (NPS) Video Description: A yellow banana

Banana slugs (Ariolimax sp.) are some of my favorite animals. They slip and slide along the forest floor with ease thanks to their hygroscopic (water absorbing) slime. They secret a mucus from their foot (muscle on the bottom of their body) full of proteins that suck up water and form a gel. This slime serves not only to help them get around but also to deter would be predators, since the slime immediately aborbs water from your mouth, leaving it numb and tingly. Slugs also convey information to