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Slug Licking, Northwest Style
For every toad-licker, there’s a banana
By Amanda Rust

There are many beautiful attributes to the naturally complex forests of our Pacific Northwest, but none is quite as interesting as the banana slug, Oregon's favorite invertebrate.

Banana slugs are a complex species, as one who has seen “The Life Story of the Slug” in biology class can tell you. Contrary to popular belief, a slug is not a snail. They are very similar, but have one important difference: A snail has a shell to hide in, a slug does not. This distinction may seem trivial, but it becomes an important detail in the following experiment:

The next time you are hiking about in the forest and come across a banana slug, sneak up to it and give it a lick. Not just a touch with the tip of the tongue, but a full-on “puppy dog happy to see ya” kind of lick. As you watch the slug shrink away from the sudden stimuli, you will notice a most remarkable reaction: Your tongue goes numb. The slimy trail of slug ooze is really the only adaptation for slugs to have a chance of survival when lapped up by some hungry animal. Truly biochemistry at its finest.

Note: This does not hurt the slug. It only spooks it a little. In no way do I condone slug abuse. Of course, how would you feel if you were just scooting along the forest floor, minding your own little slug business, when -- slurp!!! -- you got licked? So do not do this too many times to one slug. Just use some common sense.

And there you have it. So, the next time you are in the wet 'n wild forests of the Pacific Northwest, bring a friend. Tell them you want to conduct a “serious biochemistry experiment” in which you need their full co-operation. The rest is up to you.