Button's Banana Slug

Deep in the Bay Area’s wet forests, banana slugs (Ariolimax buttoni) can be found feeding on decomposed plant and animal matter. These spineless, single-lunged gastropods are considered one of the world’s slowest organisms, with a top pace of about 6.5 inches per minute. Interestingly, banana slugs have been known to exhibit mutually symbiotic relationships with redwood trees. Rather than feeding on the tree’s seedlings, banana slugs consume plants that redwoods compete with for light, water, and nutrients. In response, redwoods award the slugs with their desired cold and wet environments.