Slug or snail of the day

[Tiggrx]

My slug for the day was a Greenhouse Slug (Lehmannia valentiana), which I discovered my garden pond. Unfortunately he fell in while I was trying to rescue him from the rising water...

[pressld2]

Originally Posted by Netuser60

The biggest ones are big - up to 10cm...

Then yellow slug still looks good! Wikipedia says "When extended, the body length can be 7.5 to 10 cm (3 to 4 inches)."

I've just been on a well known Internet bookshop looking for a field guide to slugs and snails but such a thing doesn't seem to exist. Does anyone know of a good guide to these animals - preferably the UK species but I'd go for something wider if that's all there is.

Dave P.

[Netuser60]

I've also been searching for a useful key. There is a pdf available on the web titled

"A field guide to the slugs ofthe British Isles" by Cameron, RAD; Eversham, B; & Jackson, N. (1983) Field Studies Council 5, 802-824

go to

Field Studies Journal - FSC (Field Studies Council)

If anyone knows of anything more recent, or with more images, I'd be interested.

[kiltoncomp]

we were watching this bick black fella sliding along the path , when he spotted a bunny currant and executed a sharp right turn and began munching away on it, he was still going at it when we left him to it



Brian.

[BarbaraEmma]

We used to find slime trails of slugs on our kitchen floor in our old house but we've never been bothered by them here.
Look at this little beauty, approx.15cms long ,I did think it was a Great Grey Slug limax mamimus but now I think it's probably a Large Black Slug Arion ater as apparently they can come in a range of colours from black,chestnut ,orange,pale grey and creamy white.It rarely does much harm in gardens as it prefers rotting vegetation. Barbara

[Netuser60]

Quite a beauty.

Is this simply the red form of Arion ater ? From its appearance alone, could it be anything else? It was pretty large (~10cm).

[pressld2]

Agreed Netuser, a real beauty.

Originally Posted by bugbotherer

If you see a stripy foot on a UK slug it will be an Arion

But not necessarily A. ater. There are quite a few species. There is a Wikipedia stub article which lists seventeen and a half* but several of them are not found in the UK which narrows it down a bit.

I reckon there's a good chance yours is Arion rufus. It's the right colour and the very obvious pneumostome also seems to be a key feature.

Dave P.

* "Arion vejdorskyi or Arion vejdowskyi is a taxon with unclear taxonomic position and probably a synonym for other species." - quote from Wikipedia.

[Netuser60]

Thanks Dave
It never is that straightforward is it!

My Field Studies council key leads it to either Arion ater agg. or Arion lustanicus and A. rufus isn't given as a separate option (as I think you need to dissect them to decide).

On the nbn website A rufus is only shown from 5 locations (all a long way from North Wales), but this may simply due to the difficulty in identifying it and a lack of records generally.

It didn't 'rock' when prodded, and no signs of any lateral bands. I don't fancy dissecting them, so will have to be happy with A ater agg. for the time being.

I haven't yet managed to track down a definitive list of Slug species for GB. I've seen estimates ranging from between 26 and 30+ (of which ~12 are Arion) Perhaps someone out there can help?

[Hedera]

Found this one on a tomato plant in my greenhouse. Took it for Arion ater but not seen one this colour.

[pattie may]

No chance of checking the eaves. The house is three storeys at the front. Few plants in the front garden but most is paved or steps. I don't think she's seen any in the house.