Landels-Hill
Big Creek Reserve, Big Sur Coastline
Monterey Co., CA March 9, 2002
We saw dozens of banana
slugs (Ariolimax columbianus stramineus) on our
hike through the redwoods. Ariolimax columbianus columbianus is
the largest
indigenous (native) terrestrial slug in North America,
and the second largest
slug worldwide, up to about 26 cm length when fully extended. This more
southern subspecies is the only one that extends south of Monterey to at least
Ventura and only reaches about 16 cm maximum length (see here).
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Image by D.J. Eernisse © 2002