Pacific Banana Slug
Pacific Banana Slug | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Gastropoda |
Subclass: | Heterobranchia |
Order: | Stylommatophora |
Family: | Ariolimacidae |
Genus: | Ariolimax |
Species: | A. columbianus
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Binomial name | |
Ariolimax columbianus (Gould, 1851)
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The Pacific Banana Slug (Ariolimax columbianus) is a species of slug found on the Pacific coast of North America.
Description
The Pacific Banana Slug can grow up to 25 centimeters long, making it the second largest terrestrial slug in the world.[1] It is often bright yellow, but it can also be greenish, brown, tan, or white. The Pacific Banana Slug commonly also has black spots covering the tail, sometimes so extensively that the tail may appear completely black. Individual slugs can also change color from changes in their environment and eating habits, and can also indicate if a slug is healthy or injured.[4]
Distribution
The Pacific Banana Slug is found from
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Mantle, note the prominent pneumostome
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Tail, note full length foot fringe and keel
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A Pacific Banana Slug whose tail appears to be nearly entirely black.
References
- ^ a b c Thomas, Kristen. "Ariolimax columbianus". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
- ^ "Observations: Ariolimax". iNaturalist.org. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
- ^ Gervais, J., Traveset, A., Willson, M. (1998). “The Potential for Seed Dispersal by the Banana Slug (Ariolimax columbianus)”. The American Midland Naturalist. Vol. 140. Is. 1. Pp. 103-110.
- OCLC 18937538.