I was raised in Southern California and we had snails. Ordinary garden snails. Pests, really. As a small child I delighted in stomping on them to hear the crunch or putting salt on them to see them foam. I know, I was heartless but then, so was every other kid in the neighborhood. The older ones showed us how. I bet they learned from their older siblings. But, I digress.Banana Slugs are big, yellow, look like bananas and sometimes they have black spots that make them look like older bananas. They are big, did I say that? Not like the small black variety. I'd also never seen a slug before I moved here either, but a black slug and a banana slug are two different animals.
This one Bill found on the back patio was about 6" long. Fair sized. I've seen them nearly 10-12" long before. One of the weird things about them is that they can stretch out almost double their size. They secrete SLIME that is really gross. It sticks to you and cannot be washed off. It wears off. The best thing to do is to coat is with dirt and try to rub it off. Yuck! I've seen chickens & ducks eat them, but first they rub them in the dirt to coat the slime good.
Locally you can see the Slug Races at Prairie Creek State Park every Spring. Prairie Creek is one of our family's favorite picnic stop, hiking place and camping too. It's nice to be able to camp so close to home. Come visit us and we'll take you to see the most beautiful forests in the world...you'll probably see Banana Slugs, Roosevelt Elk, raccoon, and lots more.
