Triboniophorus aff. graeffei
| Triboniophorus aff. graeffei | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| (unranked): | clade Heterobranchia clade Euthyneura clade Panpulmonata clade Eupulmonata clade Stylommatophora clade Elasmognatha |
| Superfamily: | Athoracophoroidea |
| Family: | Athoracophoridae |
| Genus: | Triboniophorus |
Triboniophorus aff. graeffei is a species of giant air-breathing land slug with a distinctive hot pink hue. These slugs are found on Mount Kaputar in Australia. Taxonomists have confirmed that these slugs are not conspecific with the better-known "red triangle slug", Triboniophorus graeffei.
The slugs have only been found at the top of Mount Kaputar, an inland mountain near Narrabri in northern New South Wales within Mount Kaputar National Park, at an altitude around 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) surrounded by snow gum trees. They have been observed to stay within this area, which is estimated to be 100 square kilometres (40 sq mi). Most of the top of the mountain is designated wilderness. Although the mountain is surrounded by dry plains, it receives rainfall and snow, and its temperature is 10 °C (18 °F) cooler than the plains. Thus it forms an isolated ecozone, or sky island; such sky islands are known for unique indigenous fauna and flora.
The slugs can be seen by the hundreds on cool, wet, misty mornings. During the day, they hide in the plant litter at the base of the trees. At night, they come out and climb the tree to eat algae and mosses growing on the tree trunk. The slugs climb down the tree trunk in the early morning to hide and repeat the cycle.
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Wikipedia