Ariolimax columbianus

Ariolimax columbianus

Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Stylommatophora
Family: Ariolimacidae
Genus: Ariolimax
Species:
A. columbianus
Binomial name
Ariolimax columbianus
(Gould, 1851)
Synonyms
  • Ariolimax columbianus f. maculatus Cockerell, 1891
  • Ariolimax columbianus f. niger Cockerell, 1891
  • Ariolimax columbianus f. typicus Cockerell, 1891
  • Ariolimax columbianus var. maculatus W.G. Binney, 1890
  • Ariolimax steindachneri Babor, 1900
  • Limax columbianus Gould, 1851

Ariolimax columbianus, the Pacific banana slug, is a species of slug found on the Pacific coast of North America. It is the second-largest species of terrestrial slug in the world, growing up to 25 centimeters (9.8 in) long. As of 2021, it is the most commonly observed species in the genus Ariolimax on the citizen science website iNaturalist. An important function of this particular species is the role it plays in seed dispersion.