Jen is a proud resident of New Zealand, where the typical slug is only a couple of centimeters long. Imagine her shock and horror when she traveled to the UK and found this huge slug along an urban Birmingham footpath.
My best guess is that it is the red or rufus form of the European black slug. You can see the indentation of the slug's pneumostome, just behind the slug's 'neck', on the right side. A pneumostome is an opening found on land slugs and snails, usually on the right hand side, used in respiration. You can only see it when it's open. And they only open it about once every two minutes when fully hydrated. More often when dehydrated. Could this be the slug equivalent of panting?
Thanks for the photo, Jen.
Nov 7, 2008
Slug Panting
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10 comments:
That is a cracking slug! I wonder how Jen would like one of those gigantic black slugs that come out in wet weather? You could feed a family of four on one of those.
Well duh... that is exactly what she did see, but the red version. Go me and my inability to read the post thoroughly before commenting.
Little did they realize that Jen's gigantic hand meant the slug was over three feet long.
I thought it said 'slug PAINTING'
which is, I think, a great idea.
Mitch-- that's what I thought it said too!! lol
I was like 'what? coooool, lemme look!'
That's not much of a slug ... haven't you posted about banana slugs? Now THOSE get big.
Slug PAINTING...yup, that's what I read, too.
I thought to myself: "Yeah, I guess it IS a colorful slug. But, geez, I'm kind of disappointed--Wombat is usually a lot funnier."
Whoops.
Didn't even realize I was wrong until I read the comments. Wombat--you've been excused. Slug panting IS funny. But mostly disgusting.
I have seen maggot painting somewhere before, but I have no idea where right now.
Not sure what part of NZ your contributor is from, as in the south we certainly have slugs that large. Below is a link to another NZer's photos of giant New Zealand slugs:
http://pets.webshots.com/album/115237343neMnpN
banana slug... At least that is what they are called in northern California.
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