Slugs and slugs and slugs

Well, I have loved slugs for quite some time. A good friend of mine also shares this love of slugs, so it seems a good idea to create a substantial post of slug pix. This one is for J-Bax.



Slugs are basically snails that do not have shells. For our purposes, we refer to terrestrial (land) snails. The adaptation of shellessness (I refuse to put 3 L's in there) has arisen in multiple families of land snails, usually for species that tend to travel through undergrowth. Presumably, the shells would be a hindrance to passage amongst dense vegetation. As well, slugs are hermaphrodites, meaning they possess both male and female sexual organs. This provides for some interesting mating situations.

Here's our VOCAB ALERT for the day: Polyphyletic, meaning that a group or designation like "slug" is actually found in several different taxonomic groups. Again, slugs are found in several different families of terrestrial snails.

GHOST SLUG


Ghost Slug (Selenochlamys ysbryda)


Discovered in Wales in 2006, only described
scientifically this year, it is believed to have
been introduced into Wales, but from where
is a mystery.


This is a predatory species, feeding on worms.


BANANA SLUG


There are actually 3 species of slugs that are
referred to as Banana Slug, all in the genus
Ariolimax


Banana slugs are the largest species of slug




2 Banana Slugs mating


Banana slugs range from bright yellow to
brown and can be spotted, as well.


They are found in the Pacific North West of
the United States and in Canada, from
northern CA to Central British Columbia

EUROPEAN RED SLUG or CHOCOLATE SLUG


Red Slug (Arion rufus)






As you can tell, the "red" slug actually comes
in a variety of colors.


Although European, this species is now
found in the Northeast and Northwestern
United States through introduction.


Leopard Slug or Great Gray Slug


Limax maximus


European slug, again that has also been
introduced in to the United States




Leopard slugs mate by hanging from
a thread of mucous


The slugs then both protrude their
penises and impregnate each other.




LOL Slugs?


Black Velvet Leatherleaf Slug


Angustipes ameghini


Introduced to the U.S. from South America


Velvet Slugs mating


Black Slug


Arion ater - Europe






White phase


Brown phase


I can has rotten mushroomz now?


Random


The Spanish Slug (Arion lustanicus) eating



Gaeotis flavolineata retains just a small
bit of shell in its body


Gaeotis - Puerto Rico



Slug anatomy

Winter Migrants in the Park (UPDATE)

We just spotted a beautiful male SUMMER TANAGER (Piranga rubra) hunting bees next to the house yesterday. Usually we get a female in the park this time of year, but almost never a male. I hope he stays for awhile ( in lieu of flying down to Central America).

VOCAB ALERT!!!

Sexual Dimorphism: when males and females have a different appearance


Male Summer Tanager


Adult males are obviously red




Male in it's 1st Spring


Females are usually yellow




Okay, so there is a reddish color phase that
females sometimes exhibit, but they are never
as bright red as the males.

The Caecilians

When we talk about Amphibians, most people seem to know The Order ANURA (frogs and toads) and the Order CAUDATA (salamanders). There is a 3rd group of amphibians, the Order GYMNOPHIONA (caecilians). The caecilians are legless, and usually fossorial (living underground, but a few are aquatic). They are only found in the tropical regions of the world; in Central and South America, Africa, and SE Asia. They have small calcite scales embedded in the skin, which is unique to this group amongst the amphibians.


Icthyophis kohtaoensis (SE Asia)




The tentacles aid in smell and touch


I. kohtaoensis tail tip


Gegenophis mhadeiensis (India)


Dermophis sp. (Central America)


Siphonops annulatus (South America)




Typhlonectes natans (aquatic)


T. natans up close


Even Typhlonectes possess lungs. Only
a few species are lungless.


African species




Caecilian development


Mother with eggs


Caecilian embryo


Embryo up close


Mother with young


The development and care of young of most
caecilian species is not well understood. They
are rarely seen animals in the wild because
of their fossorial habits.


Caecilian skeleton

Check out this video of a mother caring for her young, as they feed on the dead outer layers of her skin! This is a recent discovery by scientists.