Banana slug time-lapse | California Academy of Sciences

Banana slugs (Ariolimax sp.) are some of my favorite animals. They slip and slide along the forest floor with ease thanks to their hygroscopic (water absorbing) slime. They secret a mucus from their foot (muscle on the bottom of their body) full of proteins that suck up water and form a gel. This slime serves not only to help them get around but also to deter would be predators, since the slime immediately aborbs water from your mouth, leaving it numb and tingly. Slugs also convey information to