word of the day

The mascot of UC Santa Cruz is the Banana Slug.

Before the memorial service, my mother's cousin Cal (a large animal veterinarian), my cousin Geoffrey, and I were compelled to seek out the UCSC bookstore to get groovy slug crapola. Besides the t-shirts and socks and mugs, I picked up a booklet entitled simply The Banana Slug (also available at Powell's if you prefer that).

Anyway, I have to share this bit of mating info from the booklet:

When they are ready to separate, difficulties often occur. Because columbianus, dolichophallus, and californicus speices have evolved such huge male organs, as well as other enlarged internal genital structures, they regularly become stuck and cannot separate. The male organ is often longer than the slug's body. After long hours of premating and mating, more hours are often spent pulling and twisting into incredible positions as they try to pull apart.

After some point the animals finally give up trying to disengage and take turns gnawing off the stuck organ or organs. This paradoxical act of gnawing off the penis is a unique phenomenon known as apophallation. Noted malacologists, H. A. Pilsbry and A. R. Mead, stated that the severed male organ possibly regenerates.

There are pictures of premating, mating, and (yes) apophallation.

Here's another page (also at UCSC, coincidentally) with mating pictures and apophallation movies.