 This pretty slug; the Yellow-bordered Taildropper (Prophysaon folioatum) is the largest of the taildroppers that we have on southern Vancouver Island. This genus of slugs have a line of defense where if a beetle or other predator grabs at its "tail", it will excise the back end! Apparently they gush out more slime at the front end in order to convince the predator that the back end is the place to be.
I found a number of these while looking for the much rarer Blue-grey Taildropper. Here is a handy ID guide: http://www.hat.bc.ca/attachments/Blue-grey%20Taildropper%20ID%20Guide%20HAT%203.pdf
1 Comment
10/6/2014 08:32:44 am
What an amazing concept. Finding one species a day. The Elders Council offers seniors nature programs through the Spring, Summer and Fall at the base of Mount Seymour. We found a tiny tail-dropping slug the other day when Juliet Pendray delivered an amazing and magical walk on fungi and mushrooms. What kind of impact do you think mountain biking has on these tiny slugs? Not many people know about them I think. Leave a Reply. |
AuthorsTwo biologists on a beautiful property armed with cameras, smart phones and a marginal knowledge of websites took up the challenge of documenting one species a day on that property. Join along! Posts and photographs by Leah Ramsay and David Fraser (unless otherwise stated); started January 1, 2014. Categories
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