Erin McCracken - Oak Bay News Published: December 01, 2010 8:00 AM Slimy doesn’t usually translate into beauty. But when it comes to a certain small slug that goes by a big name, looks are everything. The blue-grey taildropper, named for its ability to lose its tail when threatened by a predator, comes in a variety of jaw-dropping shades of blue, from very vibrant to more subdued light greyish-blue tones. “It’s a quirk of evolution,” said Todd Carnahan with Habitat Acquisition Trust in Victoria. “There’s no indication it has any poison in it. That’s a speculation.” Much about the slugs remains unknown because they’ve long slimed low on the environment radar. You would think their dramatic appearance would make them easier to find in the Greater Victoria area, from urban backyards to Douglas fir and Garry oak ecosystems. But it so happens people can easily mistake these three-inch-long creatures as something far less natural. “It’s like a small piece of plastic,” said Carnahan, co-ordinator of HAT’s species-at-risk projects. Despite their colourful appearance, the endangered mollusks, which are essentially snails without shells, may one day disappear if efforts aren’t taken to save their habitat from urban sprawl -- the top reason for species loss today. Because they are listed as endangered under the federal Species At Risk Act, that means this jewel of a slug could be extinct in 50 years or sooner, Carnahan said.
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