Yes…another slug on my way to work this morning…..
I am a bit out of line with my title here though.
Technically it’s neither a he nor a she…or maybe more biologically correctly, it’s both a he and a she.
Banana slugs are hermaphrodites; they have both male and female organs and can self fertilize. But, when they have a meet and greet, either (or both) can act as the male or the female, and they can switch roles.
Slugs have a “common genital aperture” which is the opening where the penis comes out, the penis goes in, and the eggs come out. That opening is on the right side of each slug’s head. Slugs have to align those openings before any action can occur.
Still with me?
It’s a very complicated sex life…..it’s also not exactly a high speed encounter. The entire affair can take several hours.
And here’s the kicker….
They have very large, and corkscrew shaped, penises…that are often longer than their entire bodies. Because their penises are so large, they can get stuck inside of their partner, and sometimes it can take up to several hours before they can disengage. Which is why banana slugs sometimes resort to what is termed apophallation — the scientific term for when one slug chews off their mate’s penis after sex, thereby allowing them to finally separate.
If that happens, the aphallic (aka, penis-less) slug can still mate, but only as female rather than a doubly-genitaled hermaphrodite.
And now you know!
Biology is amazing!
