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Post by vallery on May 30, 2012 4:03:18 GMT
I'm still interested in those little sluglets in the broccoli. WoW!
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Post by pinkunicorn on May 30, 2012 19:58:45 GMT
Hehe, yeah, they like to crawl into the strangest places, preferably in piles. Every time I remove a piece of cucumber from the baby box I need to mash the soft seed part to remove the tiniest sluglets, because they eat tiny tunnels into it and then go hiding in the tunnels. It's much fun spotting transparent 2mm just-hatched babies, who absolutely do not want to be removed from their cucumber nest, but whom I absolutely do not want to accidentally throw into the trash either. Here they are in the celery mentioned in the previous page. It's not a very good photo, but I guess it demonstrates what I meant. These particular sluglets are adults now, of course. And talking about vegetable nests... Shame I didn't think of taking a photo, but earlier this morning I was looking for the leopard slug and not finding it anywhere. I pick up a hat of a big champignon mushroom, from which I had removed the leg, and voilĂ , there's my big boy curled up in a slimy ball inside the mushroom! Snails, whilst capable of resting in odd places, just can't do it like slugs can...
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Post by pinkunicorn on May 30, 2012 22:22:29 GMT
This is a sad picture, but I realised I had no photo of this little slug that I've always been able to recognise because of her misshapen mantle. She's also half the size of the others, but none of that has stopped her from being an otherwise perfectly normal little slug. She has mated and laid eggs. Some of her babies are probably feeding on some sweet potato in the baby box right now. But it looks like this is her last day and she'll have gone to munch on the better cucumbers by tomorrow (or at least I would like to think so). The slug next to her is probably also on his last day, as well as a third one not in this picture. I've learnt to see the signs, and I hope they're not in pain but sleep away as peacefully as they appear to. I know they're getting older every day, and the older they get the more will die each week, but I still find it sad to watch them go. Sad, and fascinating at the same time, though. It's interesting to see how they will socialise with other slugs even after they cease eating. I am not sure what kind of socialisation it is, though. The other slugs will consume their dead brothers and sisters, but never until they are truly dead. One thing I am sure about though: they don't sit and wait for the slug to die, though. That'd be somewhat... awful from a human point of view! The mantle is really weird, it's like a balloon instead of a flat shield like slugs usually have, making this little sluggie a special individual that stands out in the crowd.
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Post by vallery on May 30, 2012 22:54:39 GMT
Pinkunicorn what is the life span of a slug?
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Post by pinkunicorn on May 30, 2012 23:07:46 GMT
This species ( Deroceras invadens) has a very short life span. I read somewhere one year, but the oldest that I've had was almost half a year. Some of the captive generation only lived a few months. I have the impression that it depends on how much they mate and lay eggs. After they've laid their eggs they will die within a month. But for example Limax maximus has a lifespan of up to three years. Interestingly, it takes two years for it to reach maturity, so it also dies quite soon after mating, it would seem. I've read that this is the case for several slug species, some die almost immediately after laying eggs, like the lovely blue Carpathian slug whose name I forgot now. Edit: Hahaha I just read on the wikipedia page that " It is inactive in its habits, not very prolific, and exudes a thick and glutinous slime which is iridescent when dried.[8] When alarmed, or at rest, this slug merely draws its head within the shield, but does not otherwise contract its body. When irritated, it is said to expand its shield." This describes my big boy precisely! It's the laziest slug ever. The little ones are always busy slugging about, but this mister just buries himself under a nice leaf, or finds a nice spot in the flowerpot (or a mushroom) and... just stays there. He doesn't even bother to move to find food always, like the mushroom nesting demonstrated: he was sitting in the 'shroom nest and munching the walls. And when sprayed with water he flaps his mantle and looks mortified. But overall, he's just... chill. I think he needs a name to match his grande personality. Cuz he's got one.
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Post by pinkunicorn on Jun 9, 2012 21:49:35 GMT
My beauty in another pose. I think he's grown a bit since he joined the family, also gotten a bit fatter. Well, he mostly rests in his lair and comes out to feast on the delicacies I place for him... He still needs a name. Suggestions? Here he is in his lair. I usually put a piece of lettuce or something leafy on top of it to make it even more hidden, but I removed it for the picture. I wonder, when I get a second one will they both hide in their own lairs all day long or pile up like my littler sluggies do?
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inky
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 260
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Post by inky on Jun 10, 2012 5:08:42 GMT
Maybe name him Cat or Leopard due to his markings?
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Post by pinkunicorn on Jun 22, 2012 17:03:03 GMT
Thanks for the suggestion. I named him a cat, since he is dotty and lazy: Garfield. I was snail hunting today and found two garlic snails! Also found three Deroceras babies, so I picked them along. There's something special about watching a wild born baby taste the delicacies of captive life for the first time. A slice of cucumber and a fish flake mean the world to a hungry little creature, so much it will try to leave when its belly is full but is tempted to turn back for more several times. The captive-born babies don't think twice about only eating the tastiest parts of the cucumber or leaving food. Even the smallest and in our human eyes the most insignificant have their have's and have-not's. Yet so few people think that they may be responsible for this when they, for example, kick a stray mutt out of the way when taking their pedigree poodle for a walk. I planned on digging under the tiles of the balcony of our old house before it is sold to get all the "relatives" of my aspersas and sluggies out of the way before the new owners get to demolish them all. I bet there is much more to find. I totally suck at finding anything from the forest, unfortunately, but at least the balcony is a little wildlife reserve lol.
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Post by pinkunicorn on Jun 22, 2012 17:23:55 GMT
The other one came out to eat after I placed him on a piece of fish food. Apparently it was yummy. Moved them to places where they can be seen better for the piccy. I assume they're not cannibals, is this correct? I recall seeing people keep several together. But not with other species.
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Post by pinkunicorn on Jun 24, 2012 22:17:19 GMT
Garfield checks out the newcomer. The baby got a head-to-tail examination. I guess he's looking for a partner. Garfield got a bit carried away with exploring and climbed all the way to my shoulder. New babe gorged on shitake mushroom the first thing I pulled it out of the box. After all the excitement it fell asleep where I placed it, face in the cucumber.
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Post by saturnfly on Jun 25, 2012 7:22:52 GMT
Holy poop, super large slug! And such a pretty pattern + colour, what kind of slug is s/he?
I've been finding lots of baby sluglets, and always have a constant supply of slug eggs in the snail tank. I thought one of my adult slugs was big, crikey. xD They really are neat and fascinating to watch. All my babies, snails & slugs, all seem to congregate beneath carrots. I recently had to remove a carrot that looked rather... Eh, as though it was made of meat, lmao, since there were so many babies in it, so it slowly sat there rotting away. X.X Not the greatest smell in the world. So Mum tells me, I don't notice it much haha. (crappy sinuses come in handy sometimes)
I know in NZ here, we get tiger slugs which can be pretty huuge. I've yet to find one, though. >: I don't think it'd fit in the tank, haha.
*rambles* I love all your photos. ^^
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Post by pinkunicorn on Jun 25, 2012 10:48:48 GMT
Haha I know what you mean. I find that cucumbers in particular rot fast and the mush will spoil the substrate if not removed. So I lightly spray the "slugwall" with water and then gently scrape them away with a pair of plastic tweezers. The water loosens their grip so they come off easily and won't be hurt in the process. They don't like it but rotting food needs to be taken away at some point lol.
Garfield is a Limax maximus, leopard slug. It has a very peculiar mating ritual, and David Attenborough included it in one of his documentaries. I recommend watching it on YouTube, can be found with "leopard slug mating" searchwords. Bizarrely beautiful. I hope I get to see it live, though I need a few more slugs first. These two have too much age and size difference! Garfield is at least one year old at almost 20cm lenght and the baby looks infantile enough to be early spring baby, maybe from the last eggs of last year.
The baby had mites when it arrived yesterday. I thought I got rid of them all but found one mite on cucumber this morning. Grrrr. Need to keep an eye on it.
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Post by slimysnailies on Jun 25, 2012 11:03:15 GMT
I'd actually post snail/slug pics if my camera didn't suck crap. Nice pics, tho
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Post by pinkunicorn on Jun 26, 2012 21:28:37 GMT
First baby of the latest generation has come of age. It's been harassing adults and siblings for the past few hours, desperately trying to get attention.. but the adults are past mating age and most of the siblings aren't mature yet. Just like for humans, it's painful to be the first teenager! *Nudge, wink* "Hey there, how about it?" "Urgh! I'm your aunt, and a bit too old for you, punk!"
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tattyff
Achatina fulica
Moscow snails amateur
Posts: 1
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Post by tattyff on Jun 27, 2012 6:36:50 GMT
Beautiful snails)))))
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Post by pinkunicorn on Jun 28, 2012 16:16:48 GMT
Thanks to both of you. My partner came home a moment ago and said he had something for me. I opened the box and... ...this little guy pops out! He was in a bit of a hurry to get out having spent all day at the bottom of my partner's bag, with some leaves to munch on though. I'm hoping the new company will get my old guys a bit more active. I'm really starting to worry as they're not doing as well as they used to. There is a huge difference in the shell of the new guy, despite my aspersas having access to different sorts of calcium and high quality foods. But I've no clue how old they are, so it might be they're just grannies! Edit: I forgot to mention this fella was about to commit suicide and my partner rescued him. He doesn't get my love for slimy creatures but said he's on the lookout for snails in danger when biking and will pick them up if he can. Now I just need to get him to do the same to slugs... poor pariah slugs, everybody hates them even though they're just snails without shells! Visible shells that is. Many have a remainder of a shell that once was there.
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Post by pinkunicorn on Jul 2, 2012 14:21:20 GMT
e baby leopard slug has a little injury on its tail. I suspect Garfield bit the poor baby so they're under observation now. I changed their substrate on the day I think it happened and Garfield took up a new hiding spot, so I think he might have been a bit stressed by the changes in their home and then lashed out at the infant. But the babe's feeling better now, eating well again. Here's him. Or her. I think I'll call him Odie. Eating some delicious nectarine. Here's Garfield all stretched out. He measures now just over 18cm. Big boy. And here's Garfield before he started his nightly roaming, peeking from the pot where he sleeps now. He's a big slug and it's a small pot, so he needs to tuck his tail in and roll up to fit in. I actually put this pot for Odie, but Odie sleeps in Garfield's old lair now. I dont get slug logic.
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Post by oscar101 on Jul 2, 2012 15:01:34 GMT
Hi Pinkunicorn. Beautifull slugs! I may have a solution to your problem. I used to keep leophard slugs for 3 years untill releasing mine into my garden a few monthes ago due to several batches of eggs each year that went to a slush after a few weeks rather than hatch. something wrong with the conditions for the eggs to hatch maybe, not realy sure. Anyway, when I first started collecting the leophards, I had not realised that theyh were carnivourouse. I discoverd on 3 seperate ocasions 2 individuals who were eating THEIR OWN flesh from the tale leaving the white underflesh visible just like yours. So its posible that your larger slug had a nibble, and also that he may have nibbled himself.... anyway, as for the solution, I found that by suplying the slugs with plenty of fish flake, and on the ocasion that I had a death within any of my snail or slug cultures, I put the carcass in with them along with once a week giving them a very small amount of boiled chicken breast, they soon stopped eating themselfs (that sounds so weird "eating themselfs" lol). But what I found, that untill I started suplying them with protein, they continued to consume their own flesh, even when fresh food was pressent in their enclosure. They would nibble at themselfs in prefference to mushroom somtimes, which shocked me to be honest, because mushroom is a big part of their wild habitat diet. Do you suply your slugs with protein?
hope this helps, Oscar.
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Post by prowljazz on Jul 2, 2012 15:32:30 GMT
Pinkunicorn. NOT so Keen on The Slugs At ALL But I LOVE Your Gift from Your Partner....
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Post by mechangel on Jul 2, 2012 20:54:21 GMT
My goodness, that new snailie is precious! I can't believe how loooong slugs can get, I didn't used to like them but they are starting to grow on me, slugs in general, that is.
It does look like Odie's tail may have been nibbled!
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Post by pinkunicorn on Jul 3, 2012 11:58:34 GMT
Odie has another tail injury today. I've given them the same fish food I give my other slugs. But the leopards aren't very keen on it, unlike my little garden slugs who gobble up the pellets like crazy. You can see a pellet on the lettuce leaf in the pic of Odie's tail. It's untouched, like on most nights. Going to buy a few different types and also try some boiled meat for the leopards. Maybe they're indeed lacking protein because they don't like the current offering enough. I'll also try some dead slug meat the next time there's a death, which happens weekly with the short-lived species tank. Usually they consume their own halfway before I get to remove the body. Those little ones are really big on protein, despite being classified as an agricultural pest.
I've also noticed the preference for mushrooms in the leopards,as suggested in literature. But given just how meat-hungry the little garden slugs are if given a chance I'm nit surprised that leopard slugs' preferred diet actually differs from what's been observed in studies that were done in a time when they mostly fed lettuce to their molluscan subjects... even a slug doesn't live on lettuce alone!
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Post by oscar101 on Jul 3, 2012 14:53:02 GMT
Hi pinkunicorn. Yes I see the Pelet I meant fish flake food though Me being a complete weirdo, have tasted pond pellets and tasted flake food and to be honest theirs a huge huge difference, so you may still have luck yet if you attemp flake food lol.
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Post by pinkunicorn on Jul 4, 2012 3:57:41 GMT
I've used a few types of fish food. The pellets I have are Tetra Gold Japan, which had the highest raw protein content of the ones I compared. The little sluggies love those. I bought now flakes for tropical fish and some shrimp-algae tablets aimed at bottom-feeders to try out. They all have slight variations in crude protein/fat/ash percentages so it will be interesting to see which species prefers what. The leopards ate about 1/4 tablet each on the first offering, but have yet to try the flakes. I also gave everyone some snail porridge I made (watery oatmeal base with fish food and powdered calcium/minerals added) and most of it was gone when I last checked so they may have full bellies now. The porridge was a huge success in every tank, the little slugs seem to have polished off every last bit.
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Post by prowljazz on Jul 4, 2012 8:18:14 GMT
pinkunicorn
How do You Feed Shrimp-Algae Tablets, Do You Soak 1st or......? Thanks
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Post by pinkunicorn on Jul 4, 2012 16:38:05 GMT
Yeah, soak and mush to make sure the entire tablet is moistened. I noticed these are kinda hard so they don't get moist in the middle very quickly. Here's one of the one-eyed babies. It's big enough to see its tentacles are actually fused together. He's such an ugly little thing that he's precious! There's a few with fused eyes it seems, and a few with a missing eye. Poor little things, but they've grown big.
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