Slug (likely a banana slug)

Moist, shaded forests, especially beneath logs, leaf litter, moss, and ferns. Common in temperate Pacific coastal woodlands.

Mostly grazes on fungi, algae, decaying vegetation, leaf litter, and living plants. It also consumes animal droppings and carrion, recycling nutrients.

Nocturnal or active during cool, wet conditions; it retreats into damp cover during heat or drought. Hermaphroditic, it lays gelatinous egg clusters and moves using muscular waves over a mucus trail.

Generally harmless to humans, though it may damage garden plants and occasionally carry parasites. It benefits ecosystems by decomposing organic matter, dispersing fungal spores, and serving as prey for wildlife.