The Kaputar pink slug lives only on Mount Kaputar in the state of New South Wales in the protected Mount Kaputar National Park.
Kaputar slugs can be over 20cm long.
Millions of years ago, Kaputar was an active volcano, when most of Australia was tropical forest. As Australia begins to dry out, tropical forest areas are reduced to only along the coast and mountain ranges. Mount Kaputar became a safe haven for creatures and animals that like humid environments.
Mount Kaputar’s altitude makes the environment cooler than surrounding areas and makes it a unique community for native snails.
Pink slugs hide under leaves during the day and start looking for food at night.
Pink slugs belong to a family of snails that have only one pair of tentacles, while most other slugs have two pairs of tentacles.
Foraging traces of Kaputar pink slug.
The New South Wales Science Commission has recently taken steps to have the Kaputar Mountain Slug Community recognized as an endangered ecological community under the state’s Threatened Species Conservation Act.
