les mollusques

The snail is omnivorous and eats earthworms, slugs, and snails (including their own species).

It has a spike to stab its prey, once the prey is punctured, the snail backs off and follows the slime trail left by the dying victim. After the prey dies, the Lancetooth devours it at its leisure.

Oregon is home to one of the biggest land mollusks in the world – the banana slug (Ariolimax columbianus). They can grow six to 10 inches long.

These slugs are covered in slime that can make your tongue go numb if you try kissing one. Their slime is neither a liquid or a solid, but rather a liquid crystal substance that is able to absorb 100 times its volume in water.

Malone jumping slugs are often difficult to spot, as they are small, and usually hide on the undersides of bark on the forest floor.

When it encounters a predator, it coils up and straightens out quickly, flopping around and falling off of wherever it was sitting. Not only does it get away, it also breaks the slime trail so predators can’t tell where it went.

These tiny guys like moist environments and feed on decaying plants, and occasionally live plants. Their shell is shiny and smooth, making it difficult for predators to grab ahold of them. They keep their shell looking its best by cleaning it with their radula (mouth). They are widespread in Oregon. The glossy pillar snail self-fertilizes.

These small slugs (they grow up to 15 to 30 mm long) can self-amputate (autotomy) a portion of their tail. They can usually be found foraging among mushrooms in the forest.

These thin shelled beauties are amphibious and can often be found near water. They can live up to 10 days during dry periods by going dormant, and can survive for up to 36 hours underwater. Their diet consists of algae and other plants. An amber snail can live up to two years.

A moderately large slug of about 50 mm extended, but may reach 60 mm or slightly larger.

Taildroppers have a line of abscission where the tail (end of the foot) can be dropped (autotomized), much as in lizards, as a defense against predator attack.

They feed on fungi and plant material and provide prey for raccoons, shrews, and mice, among others.

They shoot what are called “love darts” during an elaborate courtship process, virtually playing cupid with each other before they mate! These love darts are thought to enhance reproductive success after mating.

These colorful stalkless wonders contain polysaccharides that are used as an adjunct therapy for cancer treatment in Japan.

The most prized wild mushroom all around the world with excellent nutritional properties. Known as penny bun in England, porcini in Italy, cep in France, steinpilz in Germany, and borovik in Russia… It all means delicious!

The largest known organism in the world, and one of the oldest. The network of mycelium covers at least three square miles underground or inside the trees it is busy killing and eating.

This poisonous mushroom is so strong, it is know to break through asphalt and lift paving stones. Turns black and dissolves itself into an inky goo in a matter of hours after being picked or depositing spores

The official mushroom of Oregon. These culinary treats also have potent insecticidal properties and build symbiotic associations with Douglas-fir and hemlock trees.

One of the most sought-after fungi for the kitchen. Most likely found in logged areas or burn sites.

A fun guy (fungi) of a different type, the Soldier (Soldierus Americanus) buried himself to camouflage as a mushroom, but now finds himself stuck.

A distant cousin of the Super boletus, the 1-Up Mushroom (Unum-sursum fungorum) breathes life into anyone it touches.

It might not be native to the pacific northwest, but like what Spinach does for Popeye, the Super Mushroom gives Mario the ability to grow while also increasing his speed.