It’s no accident that “ugh” rhymes with “slug.” Slimy, spineless creatures, slugs view their world through beady eyes on short tentacles that emerge from their fronts. To our disgust, they leave slime trails on the ground wherever they go.
Although snails are the kind of wildlife people want to have around, slugs are seen as disreputable creatures. The two are, in fact, very close relatives.
Both snails and slugs are invertebrates built around a large, muscular foot. This foot has eyes and a mouth at the front end and a tail at the rear. They move by gliding on slime trails secreted from special cells in the muscular foot. They travel best under moist conditions, and are active in the morning or evening, or during wetter times of the year.
Unlike snails, slugs don’t grow external shells. They are without homes and wander fields, gardens and woodlands scavenging for food. Their reputation worsens when you learn that they are attracted to a shallow dish of stale beer, which they consume to the point of bloating, then drown.
Snails and slugs eat dead and dying plant materials, They are consumers and recyclers, which happen to be very important jobs in the natural world.
Getting Slimed
- The slime of a slug is vital in its movement, as they don’t have legs, wings or fins. They slide on a layer of slime to get around.
- The bottom part of the slug’s body, called a foot, oozes mucus over everything it touches.
- The mucus makes the slug stick to stuff–they can crawl up glass–and it greases the slug’s path, helping it slip over things.
- The slime is so slick that slugs can glide over knives without getting sliced!
- Mucus also keeps slugs from drying out and discourages other animals from eating them.
Information via the MDC’s Xplor Magazine.
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