Cool Land Slugs Around the World

[Blötdjur]

This is a short article I wrote in Swedish and made a version of in English. Please give me tips about more slugs to write about! And please tell if there are "better" common names and if you have anything else to tell!

Cool Land Slugs Around the World

I guess all slugs are kind of cool, but here are some special ones. (family > genus > species)


Europe

Europe, probably primarily the north western part, is one of the worlds slug centers, perhaps the foremost.

I will here mention slugs from two different families. The Keelback Slugs (the Limacidae family) are only very distantly related to the Roundback Slugs (the Arionidae family) and commonly have a much kinder slime and are faster.

Limax cinereoniger, Ash-grey Slug (in the Limacidae family)

Can become up to 30 cm (about a foot) long and is seen as the worlds largest slug!


Photo: Blötdjur

Bielzia coerulans, Carpathian Blue Slug (in the Limacidae family)

The thing about this one I guess is that it's blue. It can also become pretty large. In the Carpathian Mountains.


Photo: Branislav Turčina

Limax maximus, Panther Slug (in the Limacidae family)

Darkly dotted or patterned. Hangs in a slime thread when performing its spectacular mating. It can become pretty large.


Photo: Kevin Davies/www.exoticpetsuk.com

Geomalacus maculosus, Kerry Slug (in the Arionidae family)

Brightly dotted. Can roll itself together into a ball!


North America

The Veronicellidae family, Leatherleaf Slugs

Flat, unslimy and cool! Also elsewhere.

Veronicella sloanei

Photo: Kevin Davies/www.exoticpetsuk.com

Laevicaulis sp.

Photo: Kevin Davies/www.exoticpetsuk.com

The Ariolimax genus, Banana Slugs (in the Arionidae family)

Exists with dark spots and in different colours, among them yellow, not totally unlike bananas! At least those of one species can become very large.

Ariolimax columbianus

Photo: Erica Freeman

The Hemphillia genus, Jumping-Slugs (or Jumping Slugs?) (in the Arionidae family)

Can jump!


New Zealand, Australia, etc.

The Athoracophoridae family, Leaf-veined Slugs

Some look like leaves, others just look generally cool! Some have spikes on the back.


Photo: Kevin Davies/www.exoticpetsuk.com

More pictures:
soilbugs.massey.ac.nz/gallery/slugs.html
www.terranature.org/slugLeaf-veinedSchilov.htm


Finally

Far from all slugs are any real danger to gardens!


Appendix: Contestants

To have a place in the above article, the slugs need to have a serious feat of coolness, it is a shame though to not mention some slugs!


Europe

Lehmannia valentiana, Threeband Garden Slug (in the Limacidae family)

A watery, beautiful and cute little slug! Has three bands on its back.

Arion ater, Black Slug (in the Arionidae family)

An often pitch black, pretty large slug!


New Zealand, Australia, etc.

Triboniophorus graeffei, Red Triangle Slug (in the Athoracophoridae family)

A somewhat large species with a red triangle on its back!

[Kevin]

good article, I think youve covered some of the most interesting species. Another common name for Limax maximus is the Leopard Slug, or sometimes also Tiger Slug (in the US)

Australia's largest species, the red triangle slug, Triboniophorus graeffei is also another very interesting species.

www.faunanet.gov.au/wos/factfile.cfm?Fact_ID=44

Some pictures of my Athoracophoridae slugs,

[GlitterBug]

Kevin, can you get the leopard slug in the UK?

Just when i was younger there was this slug I saw and i called it a leopard slug because of its markings.

[Kevin]

yeah, they are native here. It was probably one of them then.

[GlitterBug]

I didn't like it much, it moved way to fast and looked evil.

I was 5-6 at the time and thought it was going to kill me

[Blötdjur]

May 23, 2008 9:33:48 GMT Kevin said:

good article, I think youve covered some of the most interesting species. Another common name for Limax maximus is the Leopard Slug, or sometimes also Tiger Slug (in the US)

Australia's largest species, the red triangle slug, Triboniophorus graeffei is also another very interesting species.

www.faunanet.gov.au/wos/factfile.cfm?Fact_ID=44

Some pictures of my Athoracophoridae slugs,

...

Thanks!

I know about the red triangle slugs, and they are actually also Athoracophoridae slugs, but perhaps they deserve special mention!

More tips are welcome!

Leopard Slug sounds better I think, but I saw Great Grey Slug on the web, is it even used much more than in old books? Here in Sweden it is called Pantersnigel, Panther Slug :-)

Thanks for the help!

Really cool Athoracophoridae slugs! A guy in Sweden called Bughunter at least have had slugs similar to yours but more dark green.

If anybody have pictures I can use in the article (including the Swedish version), that would be great, and I can write what name you wish!

[Blötdjur]

May 23, 2008 11:53:23 GMT GlitterBug said:

I didn't like it much, it moved way to fast and looked evil.

I was 5-6 at the time and thought it was going to kill me

The Leopard Slug is certainly a fierce and fierce looking slug! They can kill and eat slugs, so your instinct had perhaps some connection to the reality :-)

[coyote]

Would you consider including the threeband garden slug (Lehmannia valentiana)?

If you like, you can use my pic of a Pacific banana slug (Ariolimax columbianus). I took the pic recently along Pescadero Creek in the Santa Cruz Mountains of Northern California.

i25.tinypic.com/bi49rl.jpg [huge pic]

i30.tinypic.com/ixgrbb.jpg [small pic]

[Blötdjur]

May 23, 2008 21:19:57 GMT coyote said:

Would you consider including the threeband garden slug (Lehmannia valentiana)?

If you like, you can use my pic of a Pacific banana slug (Ariolimax columbianus). I took the pic recently along Pescadero Creek in the Santa Cruz Mountains of Northern California.

i25.tinypic.com/bi49rl.jpg [huge pic]

i30.tinypic.com/ixgrbb.jpg [small pic]

Hm, does it have any other claim to coolness than being really beautiful and cute? :-) It is one of my favourite slugs, and it has been on my mind since possibly I saw my first one recently! A very light grey one with grey "dot-stripes".

Thanks! That is a great picture! You see the slug well and there is even a nice and natural environment! What should I write? Copyright sign? What name if any?

[Blötdjur]

I could create a "runner-up" list :-)

[Blötdjur]

I would be interested to know which is the smallest slug species and what species can live the longest, or clues on the subject. Of course, it has to be extreme enough to be cool enough though!

[Kevin]

You can use any of the above pictures of my Leaf Veined Slugs, if you do please credit them to Kevin Davies/www.exoticpetsuk.com.

You can also use any of these if you like,





Veronicella sloanei



Laevicaulis sp "Velvet Slug"





Ariolimax sp (possibly A. dolichophallus)



Elisolimax c.f flavescens



Arion ater rufus



Limax maximus

[coyote]

May 23, 2008 22:02:17 GMT Blötdjur said:

May 23, 2008 21:19:57 GMT coyote said:

Would you consider including the threeband garden slug (Lehmannia valentiana)?

If you like, you can use my pic of a Pacific banana slug (Ariolimax columbianus). I took the pic recently along Pescadero Creek in the Santa Cruz Mountains of Northern California.

i25.tinypic.com/bi49rl.jpg [huge pic]

i30.tinypic.com/ixgrbb.jpg [small pic]

Hm, does it have any other claim to coolness than being really beautiful and cute? :-) It is one of my favourite slugs, and it has been on my mind since possibly I saw my first one recently! A very light grey one with grey "dot-stripes".

Thanks! That is a great picture! You see the slug well and there is even a nice and natural environment! What should I write? Copyright sign? What name if any?

Both photos are ©Erica Freeman; please give photo credit to Erica Freeman if you use them. Thank you!

[Blötdjur]

"Appendix: Contestants" was added!

[Blötdjur]

May 24, 2008 17:48:23 GMT Kevin said:

You can use any of the above pictures of my Leaf Veined Slugs, if you do please credit them to Kevin Davies/www.exoticpetsuk.com.

You can also use any of these if you like,

...

Thanks a lot! Great pictures! Now I can make a really exciting article!

[Robert Nordsieck]

Hi Blötdjur,

slugs usually do not become very old. The slugs of Europe, as far as I know, mostly only live one year; in autumn after laying eggs, the adults die and the young hatch the next spring. That is usually true for the Arionids.

The Limacids reach several years, but also not many.

Speaking of size, the largest terrestrial slug in the world is Limax cinereoniger with more than 20 cm length. Interestingly Limax maximus (literally translated as the largest or very large slug) is much smaller, only near 13 cm.

The smallest slugs, at least in Europe, are the Milacidae and Agriolimacidae families. Among the latter for example Deroceras reticulatus, the netted garden slug, is well known to be a garden pest. Most Agriolimacidae are smaller than 5 cm, but I think Deroceras laeve should be the smallest with 1,5 to 2,5 cm overall length.

> Biolib.cz: Deroceras laeve (Marsh slug)

You might also want to check:

> Robert Nordsieck: Slugs - Life (Almost) Without A Shell.


Black Slug (Limax cinereoniger). Image: Robert Nordsieck: Gallery Picture.

Kind regards
Robert

[Blötdjur]

May 25, 2008 9:14:45 GMT Robert Nordsieck said:

Hi Blötdjur,

slugs usually do not become very old. The slugs of Europe, as far as I know, mostly only live one year; in autumn after laying eggs, the adults die and the young hatch the next spring. That is usually true for the Arionids.

The Limacids reach several years, but also not many.

Speaking of size, the largest terrestrial slug in the world is Limax cinereoniger with more than 20 cm length. Interestingly Limax maximus (literally translated as the largest or very large slug) is much smaller, only near 13 cm.

The smallest slugs, at least in Europe, are the Milacidae and Agriolimacidae families. Among the latter for example Deroceras reticulatus, the netted garden slug, is well known to be a garden pest. Most Agriolimacidae are smaller than 5 cm, but I think Deroceras laeve should be the smallest with 1,5 to 2,5 cm overall length.

> Biolib.cz: Deroceras laeve (Marsh slug)

You might also want to check:

> Robert Nordsieck: Slugs - Life (Almost) Without A Shell.


Black Slug (Limax cinereoniger). Image: Robert Nordsieck: Gallery Picture.

Kind regards
Robert

Hello!

I have already visited your interesting website, including the slug page!

I have read Arion circumscriptus hibernates and can live a few years, perhaps it was written 3 - 4 years. Perhaps I read some slugs can live 5 - 7 years? Some big limacid perhaps? (And is this only with mild winters?) Any age like this or above I'm interested in!

I keep two Deroceras laeve in a paludarium, I want to see if they ever go under water! I have seen one descend on a slime thread already (not into the water)!

Great picture! That is perhaps my favourite slug species! Here is one in Sweden:


Thanks!

[Blötdjur]

I have added pictures to the Swedish version!:
www.zoonen.com/perzoonen/artikel.asp?oid=1938848

Is the way I signed the picture OK coyote?

[Blötdjur]

There, now I updated with pictures!

[coyote]

May 25, 2008 20:20:19 GMT Blötdjur said:

Is the way I signed the picture OK coyote?

Yes it is!

[Blötdjur]

coyote, I'm curious why you suggested the threeband garden slug (Lehmannia valentiana), is it the pattern?

[Blötdjur]

May 26, 2008 18:02:25 GMT coyote said:

Yes it is!

Good :-)

[kimikofairy]

wie4rd slugs but i don't like them i preffer things without loads of legs and have a sell or fur or feathers

[johananv]

I have a question that may lead you to another interesting species. What is the most fecund slug species?