Humboldt County’s favorite slimy, sluggish friend just got a promotion from redwood resident to California state symbol. The banana slug was one of three state symbols signed into legislation by Gov. Gavin Newsom last month.
Alongside the fruity look-a-like, the more delicious Dungeness crab and the embattled black abalone were also officially instated as state symbols.
The unique colors of the slug have made it a popular species in the state, where it serves as the mascot of University of California at Santa Cruz. You can find it in shades of banana yellow, overripe banana brown, green banana and many more.
Local artists even placed large installments of yellow slugs along the city’s walls during the 2024 Eureka Street Art Festival. The slugs were created by ceramic artists Shannon Sullivan and Jessica Swan, with 16 different slugs placed in 13 locations around the city. You can still find these installations, as they will continue to be up for a minimum of five years, according to Sullivan. Well, at 12 locations now, as one was stolen over the weekend (“Slug Swiped,” Nov. 6, 2024).
Despite its popularity, Assembly Bill 1850, the bill that instated the banana slug as the official state slug, says that there is a lack of academic research on the species.
“This bill designates the banana slug as the official state slug of California in order to promote appreciation, education and research of banana slugs in the state,” according to the bill’s factsheet.
But that doesn’t mean there is no research, as Cal Poly Humboldt students have produced a few studies on the critters over the years.
“This semester, I have two students doing banana slug projects,” said David Sinn, CPH Department of Wildlife professor. “One is about micro habitat features that facilitate banana slug use. And the other project is kind of cool. It’s on the competition between the banana slugs and the invasive black slugs in our area, and how black slugs might be impacting banana slug feed.”
The banana slug is not just a novelty to look at, it plays an important role in the redwood forest ecosystem.
“Although these macrofauna are often overlooked and considered unimportant due to their size, the ecosystem services they provide have a big impact on health and productivity of a redwood forest,” Redwood Nation Park’s State Park Interpreter III Karla Margarita Jovel says.
The species shares a symbiotic relationship with the famed coast redwood trees — also known as California’s state tree.
Ever thought about giving these greasy looking creatures a nibble? Well, it’s found its way into a recipe featured in A Taste of Humboldt: An Historical and Ethnic Cookbook of Humboldt County, California. One staff writer at the North Coast Journal even took the leap of faith to try it following the meticulous preparation and with culinarily disappointing results (“Slugfest,” Sept. 18, 2024).
And you definitely shouldn’t just pick one up and eat it, the brightly colored gastropod’s slime can cause numbing and tingling if ingested. (Read: It will not get you high.)
Instead, show some respect. It’s our state slug.
Anne To (she/her) is a California Local News Fellow placed with North Coast Journal, Inc. Reach her at (707) 442-1400, extension 312, or anne@northcoastjournal.com. The California Local News Fellowship is a state-funded initiative to support and strengthen local news reporting. Learn more about it at fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows.
This article appears in ‘Powerful’.