Banana slug

Moist, shaded forests, especially beneath logs, leaf litter, and moss in the Pacific Northwest of North America.

Feeds mainly on fungi, decaying plant material, living vegetation, and organic detritus; it also helps recycle nutrients.

Nocturnal or active during cool, wet weather, using mucus to glide and deter predators. Most species are simultaneous hermaphrodites and lay eggs in damp soil or beneath debris.

Harmless to humans and nonvenomous, though it may damage garden plants. It benefits forests by decomposing organic matter and dispersing fungal spores and seeds.