Kevin
Archachatina dimidiata
Posts: 2,227
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Post by Kevin on Oct 29, 2006 16:39:35 GMT
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Post by deadmansfinger on Oct 29, 2006 19:11:03 GMT
sorry but I had to delete a few posts from in here as they did not contribute to the identification of this slug. Please refer to the forum rules again (especially no.5):- petsnails.proboards3.com/index.cgi?board=forumnews&action=display&n=1&thread=5562&page=1Brian. *edit to add - If you find something interesting in the info sections and want to comment or have a chat about it why not start a thread in general discussion, and link to the info post? Just a suggestion - copigeon ** further edit - good idea copigeon ;D ** c'mon folks lets try and keep it relevant in these sections. if you can identify the slug then great but simply saying "lovely snail" or "i want one" etc adds nothing to the thread. |
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Post by sezzy5889 on Oct 29, 2006 19:23:50 GMT
are you sure there are no white british snails, i mean i know there are and also creamy coloured ones but y'know??
any chance you could get some pictures without using the flash? so that it is easier to see any detail etc??
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Kevin
Archachatina dimidiata
Posts: 2,227
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Post by Kevin on Oct 29, 2006 19:45:41 GMT
This is the best picture I could get that shows some detail on the slug,  |
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Post by sezzy5889 on Oct 29, 2006 19:50:57 GMT
hmmm, well after doing a bit of research it seems albino slugs aren't that uncommon especially arion species.
That slug doesn't appear the have the band around the foot (the oe that is usually orange on an arion slug) or am i wrong? this would help in identifying..
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Arno
Archachatina puylaerti
Posts: 1,493
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Post by Arno on Oct 29, 2006 19:51:07 GMT
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Kevin
Archachatina dimidiata
Posts: 2,227
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Post by Kevin on Oct 29, 2006 20:13:54 GMT
Thanks Arno, I'll have a good check of the slug to try to narrow it down to one of those families, I dont think I could narrow it by species on there though, as most of them seem to be identified by markings. |
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Oct 29, 2006 21:39:36 GMT
Hi - I have in my possession 'A Field Key to the Slugs of the British Isles - which I appreciate is of no use to you here when the slug is with you! However none of the coloured plates which illustrate the species have a pure white slug. Its tail looks funny in the picture - has it got a vestigial shell there? If it has the general shape would match a Testacellidae, they come in creamy white or yellow? The slug has lateral grooves along its body which meet at the vestigial shell. They are rare but local in the south and west and are carnivorous and eat earthworms.
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Kevin
Archachatina dimidiata
Posts: 2,227
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Post by Kevin on Oct 29, 2006 23:44:14 GMT
Ive just checked closely and the slug doesnt have a vestigal shell.
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Oct 30, 2006 19:53:49 GMT
Any luck identifying this slug yet Kevin? The British key I have has four families Testacelliadae (with the tiny vestigial shell on the tail and no mantle ie hood on the back behind the eyes) and the other 3 all have mantles - airionidae have no 'keel' and a blunt tail, limacidae have a keel extending from the tail up to 2/3 distance to the mantle and with a hand lens the mantle has fingerprint like rings, tail is pointed, and then milacidae where the keel extends from the tail right up to the mantle and tail is pointed. Its shape is so like a testacellidae big rounded bottom tapering to small narrow head with small tentacles.
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Kevin
Archachatina dimidiata
Posts: 2,227
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Post by Kevin on Oct 30, 2006 20:03:01 GMT
Any luck identifying this slug yet Kevin? The British key I have has four families Testacelliadae (with the tiny vestigial shell on the tail and no mantle ie hood on the back behind the eyes) and the other 3 all have mantles - airionidae have no 'keel' and a blunt tail, limacidae have a keel extending from the tail up to 2/3 distance to the mantle and with a hand lens the mantle has fingerprint like rings, tail is pointed, and then milacidae where the keel extends from the tail right up to the mantle and tail is pointed. Its shape is so like a testacellidae big rounded bottom tapering to small narrow head with small tentacles. I havent been able to identify it as yet, do all Testacelliadae have a vestigal shell? because im sure this slug doesnt have one. |
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Oct 30, 2006 21:08:24 GMT
Yes they do  7-8 mils x 4 mils so yep you should be able to see it like you say - unless it is missing it for some reason ;D Does it have a mantle you can see or a keel down its back? It just looks really weird in the pics with a strange tail. |
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Kevin
Archachatina dimidiata
Posts: 2,227
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Post by Kevin on Oct 30, 2006 21:18:16 GMT
Its hard to explain, as the slug is so white its hard to see any features on it, it definitly has a skirt around its foot, it doesnt appear to have a mantle, i dont think it has a keel either, it is quite long and thin when fully extended (which it is at the moment) at least 6cm. its breathing hole is just above its tail i wondered what it was, but it just closed, then opened again. |
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Oct 30, 2006 21:36:13 GMT
OK I am sort of on here and sort of watching Vincent - sure I read something about that in the key so will go and peruse - if it doesn't have a visible mantle the only ones in the key that don't are those testacellidae back later........... wish I could find a pic of one online for you
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Kevin
Archachatina dimidiata
Posts: 2,227
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Post by Kevin on Oct 30, 2006 21:42:49 GMT
Ive looked at pictures of Testacella sp. online, and they all seem to have a very noticable vestigal shell, whille my slug doesnt, maybe its a small Testacella and will grow a shell as it gets larger?
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Oct 30, 2006 21:57:09 GMT
OK so it doesn't have a breathing hole at the front behind the eyes? Because in the key it says the mantle 'is a flap of skin and tissue coveing part of the body and enclosing the lung. In all slugs except Testacella (in which it is under the shell on the tail)...' and therefore not visible...' it is on the anterior part of the body just behind the shell. The pneumostome (breathing hole) opens on the right side of the mantle'. If the mantle in Testacella is on its tail under the shell then the breathing hole is there too - no other slugs have the breathing hole there. Testacella are usually subterranean but are found in compost heaps - similar to the pile of leaves you were collecting? There is a species Testacella haliotidea which is creamy white or yellow with a whitish sole - they reach 6-7 cms when extended and do elongate. Without the shell on the tail though............................unless that is really translucent as well.
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Oct 30, 2006 21:59:27 GMT
Could be a baby yes - they grow to 12 cms as adults (sorry the 6-7 cm above was a typo - should 6-12 cms) back in a bit..............
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Oct 30, 2006 22:07:59 GMT
Has it scoffed any food? Testacella live on earthworms so maybe if you put some worms in there with it it might fancy a snack and that might be another clue  |
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apple
Archachatina degneri
Posts: 1,078 
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Post by apple on Oct 30, 2006 22:59:45 GMT
Testacella have vestigial shells. Am i wrong? If yes it´s not the case of this one, because she lacks the vestigial shell.
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on Oct 31, 2006 9:06:07 GMT
Hmmm thats the sticking point - except there are no other species of slug in the UK with the breathing hole in the tail - maybe it has had its vestigial shell damaged? I don't know. All the other slug families have the breathing hole at the front of the body, except in very rare cases (when it is on the left) on the front right hand side. Think it may remain a mystery!
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Kevin
Archachatina dimidiata
Posts: 2,227
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Post by Kevin on Nov 2, 2006 0:05:42 GMT
Has it scoffed any food? Testacella live on earthworms so maybe if you put some worms in there with it it might fancy a snack and that might be another clue As far as I know he hasnt eaten yet, ive offered him some cucumber, sweet potato and lettuce, as well as rotting leaves, he may have eaten some leaves its difficult to tell, tommorow I'll put a few small worms in with him and check if he attempts eating them. |
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Val
Archachatina dimidiata
Posts: 2,498
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Post by Val on Nov 2, 2006 18:52:09 GMT
Are you going to try and find him a mate Val |
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Kevin
Archachatina dimidiata
Posts: 2,227
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Post by Kevin on Nov 2, 2006 22:33:20 GMT
Are you going to try and find him a mate Val I'll try too, before i found this one I'd never seen this species/type of slug before though, so I dont know if I can find another. |
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Post by benjosaur on Jun 11, 2008 16:58:25 GMT
Hi Kevin, and others
I certainly recognise this species and have seen it myself recently. A colleague and I actually have a scientific paper coming out soon about its identity and biology (I will be able to provide more information when the paper is published).
In the meantime, if Kevin or anybody has seen these slugs since 2006 I would be keen to hear from them at
sbibr@cf.ac.uk
All the best
Ben
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Kevin
Archachatina dimidiata
Posts: 2,227
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Post by Kevin on Jul 9, 2008 16:21:22 GMT
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7-8 mils x 4 mils so yep you should be able to see it like you say - unless it is missing it for some reason ;D Does it have a mantle you can see or a keel down its back? It just looks really weird in the pics with a strange tail.
