graeffei, a new species of 8-inch-long (20-centimeter-long) slug that’s found only on one Australian mountain.
Scientists already knew that a bright-pink slug lived on Mount Kaputar (map), thinking it was a variety of the red triangle slug, a species common along the east coast of Australia.
But new research shows that the colorful critter is actually its own species, said Australia’s National Parks and Wildlife Service ranger Michael Murphy.
The pink slug had gone unstudied for so long because Australian slug and snail researchers—known as malacologists—are far outnumbered by their koala-investigating brethren, Murphy said.
Their research on the new slug will likely be submitted for publication soon, he added.
I think if you are isolated on a remote mountaintop, you can pretty much be whatever color you like,” Murphy noted.
Murphy added that the slugs play important roles in their ecosystems—for example, by recycling plant matter. »
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