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banana slugs everywhere

Wed, 2006-08-02 22:44 — bklasky

On my way into work today, I saw several large gooey banana slugs. The weather's warm these days and, like us humans, our mollusk friends are coming out to play. Here are my favorite banana slug facts:

  • They are hermaphroditic - each slug is equipped with both male and female reproductive organs...so they can mate with themselves! They choose to do this only when no other slugs are around, typically seeking partners so they can trade their genetic material and create a healthier slug geen pool.
  • They have sex rituals - Slug sex lasts for hours and is characterized by ritualized bouts of lunging, nipping, and side swiping with their tails.
  • They are well endowed - During sex, slugs display extremely large sex organs...up to half their body size. In fact, the scientific name for banana slug - dolichophallus - is Latin for "long penis."
  • They apophalate! - After sex, slugs often have trouble "disengaging" from their partners. They spend hours twisting and pulling...and frequently resort to the practice of apophalation to separate themselves. That's a big scientific word that means "biting your partner's wee-wee off."
  • They are faster than you think - Despite being, well, sluggish...they cover a fair amount of ground. They can move 6.5 inches per minute, or 32 feet in an hour. Of course, this means they "run" a 100-yard dash in a little over 9 hours. But trust me...when watching them, they move faster than you'd expect.
  • They are slimey - and their slime is really amazing stuff. It serves as a deterrent to predators because it tastes bad and has a natural anesthetic (which numbs your lips if you kiss them - trust me, I know). The slime prevents moisture loss, and helps them get where they are going - by providing a lubricant to squeeze into tight places, adhere to steep surfaces, or hang upside down from slime threads. It also protects their fleshy underparts from dry or sharp objects. A banana slug can actually glide easily across a sharp razor blade without cutting itself!