Banana Split

We were looking for a good picture of the Banana slug, and found this one taken by Danielle.



















Look at the detail! Have you seen so much ugly mollusk so close before? What a great shot! These animals are native the the forested coastal regions of North American, from Northern California all the way up to Alaska. These benign creatures - who are the second largest slug on the planet - have captured the hearts of many, and are even the school mascot for UC Santa Cruz.

My experience with this slimy denizen involved me picking one up because I thought it was a doggy toy. That was a pleasant surprise. Also, in case you were wondering, they don't taste anything like bananas.