As I was leaving for an appointment today, I found this adorable banana slug dining on a mushroom. I didn't have my camera so I shot it with my cell phone. This little guy was really into tonight's meal: they simply adore decaying mushrooms.
Banana slugs, unlike snails and other slugs, are not garden pests. In fact, the feed on decaying plant matter and animal droppings, and then recycle them into soil humus. They have a fondness for mushrooms, as they feed on them, they spread seeds and spores, and excrete a nitrogen rich fertilizer. They are nature's recycle bins, eating decaying plants and animal waste and turning them into fertilizer for surrounding plants. These are the good guys!
If I didn't have somewhere to be, I could totally watch this fella until he finished his dinner! I was completely mesmerized!
But check out the mushroom when I came home hours later. All the decay was eaten on one side! I guess that was more than he could eat.
Yup, these guys are a welcome addition to my garden. I love them!
I'm speechless!