Jewelled Slugsnail of Laos

[coyote]

Jewelled Slugsnail

"Description: Gastropod mollusc of family Helicarionidae from Vang Vieng, Laos. Note the point-to-point ambulation when going up an incline. This 'snail' has a hard, internal shell covered by its ornate mantle."

video here

[punki]

I took a while but I found the vid through blueapple and downloaded it. He is so cute but freaky at the same time. I hadn't seen a slugsnail before, is it real ? I tryed googleing it and just got the vid

[punki]

Wow they are real. I think they can change their shells like hermit crabs lol Thats one very clever mollusc

[aztecsea]

how adorble!
aaaaaaw
i hate slugs haha!
hes adorable!

[morningcoffee]

Whoa! What a bizarre creature!

[madhouse]

Wow I want one!!! He's totally adorable - gorgeous little chap! ;D

[lizzie97444]

omg.
THat loooookkkss GROSS...

[coyote]

I liked watching how its foot moved while crawling up that leaf (the "point-to-point ambulation").

But I can't tell if it's a slug with a shell or an actual snail? Or something else?

[Deleted]

it's beautiful

Oct 3, 2008 20:47:34 GMT coyote said:

But I can't tell if it's a slug with a shell or an actual snail? Or something else?

the mantle has covered over the shell, but the shell is still quite noticeable. I suppose it's up to you. Slug isn't a scientific term, there's no clear definition of what is a slug or a snail, and there's so many species that are inbetween.

[kanin]

It's very beautiful.. creeped out my girlfriend though..

[Rachel]

;D very beautiful and amazing definately want one

as to whether its a slug or snail:
the free dictionary definition of a slug says :

1. Any of various small, snaillike, chiefly terrestrial gastropod mollusks of the genus Limax and related genera, having a slow-moving elongated body with no shell or only a flat rudimentary shell on or under the skin.

answers.com says:

A terrestrial pulmonate mollusk in which the shell is absent or reduced to a small internal or external rudiment. The slug form has evolved independently several times. The incorporation into the muscular foot region of the body organs (which are contained within the shell in other mollusks) results in a streamlined body shape (see illustration), enabling the animal to enter small holes or crevices.

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: definition of a slug says:

Any species of gastropod that glides along on a broad tapered foot and has no shell or one that is merely an internal plate or a series of granules. Most slugs use the mantle cavity (see mollusk) as a lung. Slugs have a soft, slimy body and live in moist habitats on land (except for one freshwater species). All are hermaphroditic. In temperate regions, the common slugs eat fungi and decaying leaves. Some tropical species eat plants, and some European species eat other snails and earthworms

going by what i found, scientifically, i guess it depends how complex the slug/snail's shell is, if it is much more complex than "merely an internal plate or series of granules or, the shell is absent or reduced to a small internal or external rudiment" then it counts as a snail, whereas if its just a very simple internal/ possibley external shell then its a slug. from the video it looks as if its a fully formed shell under the mantle so it may count as a snail. looks like it could make a very good debate
and yes, i am that sad, i did just spend ages looking up the definitions of a slug on online dictionary's ;D

[goose]

What a beautiful little creature - very unusual. It does look jewelled too!