Yellow Slug

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Yellow Slug

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Order:	Pulmonata
Family:	Limacidae
Genus:	Limax
Species:	L. flavus

Binomial name

Limax flavus
Linnaeus, 1758

The Yellow Slug (Limax flavus, synonym Limacus flavus) is a medium to large species of keeled slug, which has a yellow body with grey mottling, and pale blue tentacles. When extended, the body length can be 7.5 to 10 cm (3 to 4 inches).

The Yellow Slug feeds mostly on fungi, decaying matter or vegetables, and is common in England, Wales and Ireland as well as most of southern and western Europe. This species is strongly associated with human habitation, and is usually found in damp areas such as cellars, kitchens, and gardens, at night.

Like all slugs, the Yellow Slug moves relatively slowly, gliding along using a series of muscular contractions on the underside of its foot, which is lubricated with mucus, such that it leaves a slime trail behind it. Yellow Slugs are sometimes preyed upon by raccoons, geese, ducks, garter snakes, salamanders, moles, and shrews.

Yellow Slugs, like the majority of other land slugs, use two pairs of tentacles on their heads to sense their environment. The upper pair, called optical tentacles, is used to sense light. The lower pair, aural tentacles, provide the slug's sense of smell. Both pairs can retract and extend themselves to avoid hazards, and, if lost to an accident or predation, can be regrown.

[edit] References

Kerney M.P. and Cameron R.A.D., 1979, A field guide to the land snails of Britain and north-west Europe. Collins.
Tiscali Encyclopaedia. Retrieved March 25, 2005.
Stuart M. Bennett, 2000. Yellow Slugs. Retrieved March 25, 2005.
Hutchings, J. Les limaces. Retrieved April 1, 2005.