Great Grey Slug
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 Limax maximus
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| Limax maximus Linnaeus, 1758 |
The Great Grey Slug (Limax maximus; also known as the Tiger slug or the Spotted leopard slug) is the largest type of keeled slug, noted for its dark-spotted pale-grey body and the short keel on its rear. It can live for up to three years and grow to be as long as 8 inches (0.20 metres) feeding mostly on rotting plant matter and fungi. Its range includes the British Isles.
The Great Grey Slug is almost always found near human habitation — usually in cellars or in other damp areas. Its mating habits are also considered unusual among slugs — the hermaphrodite slugs court – usually for hours – by circling and licking each other. After this, the slugs will climb into a tree or other high area and then, entwined together, lower themselves on a thick string of mucus and exchange sperm. Both participants will later lay hundreds of eggs.
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[edit] Health Risks
A Meningitis causing worm Angiostrongylus Cantonensis, which normally infests the lungs of rats has a larval stage requiring it to live in mollusks, including slugs. Previously, the worm had only been known to be a problem in tropical areas but has since moved to other regions. Uncooked or improperly cooked slugs can act as a vector for a parasitic infection.[1]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- The Wildlife Trusts; retrieved March 26, 2005.
- Stuart M. Bennett, 2000; Great Grey Slugs; retrieved March 26, 2005.
