Ready Reference Files

Banana Slug

"Sometimes referred to as Ariolimax dolichophallus, the Santa Cruz banana slug is, on the whole, nearly indistinguishable from Ariolimax columbianus, which is found all along the western United States and Canada." --- Audubon, March 1987, p. 130.

"The banana slug, native to the Northwest, can grow to a length of 8 inches (20 cm), with a few giants reaching 10 inches (25.4 cm), and weights of a quarter of a pound (0.1 kg) ....The banana slug's color ranges from dead white to black, with many intermediate color forms--lemon yellow, light tan, and dark brown--often with black blotches or spots." --- Field Guide to the Slug, Western Society of Malocologists, Sasquatch Books, 1994, p. 15.

"For many years, the banana slug (ariolomax dolichophalus to the world of science) served as the unofficial mascot for the University of California at Santa Cruz campus. It represented many of the strongest elements of the campus: contemplation, flexibility, non-agressiveness and, perhaps above all, an iconoclastistic challenge toward the status quo. Besides, the Banana Slug is indigenious to the region and shares a symbiotic relationship with the California Redwood that populates the scenic campus. In 1986 students demanded that the Slug be blessed with official mascot status."--- SlugWeb Slug Mascot History (http://slugweb.com/slugweb/AboutHistory.phtml)

See also: The Banana Slug: A Close Look at a Giant Forest Slug of Western North America, by Harper, Alice B. (R 594.3 H23)

Verified by: GM, 3/98; DS 11/01

Disclaimer:
While the Library has verified the information presented in these files in what it considers to be reliable and authoritative sources, it cannot take responsibility for nor guarantee the accuracy of the information presented.