Pheromone Power. It’s Going to Leave a Mark
The pheromones in the slime can indicate a slug’s intention for courtship. The slime produced by slugs and snails has glue and lubricating properties which contains a type of protein that has a hygroscopic property that prevents the snail trail from evaporating. Smaller gastropods utilize this lubricating property for it is a relief of effort on dry days where friction is the enemy to overcome, allowing them to travel further into your garden.
The Jaws of the Gastropod
Slugs have up to 100,000 replaceable rows of teeth that can eat nearly anything like biting their enemies or eating your flowers. These rows of teeth embedded in the flexible radula are intended to breakdown the bigger food pieces.
Seven Special Slugs to be Seen in Your Garden
Garden (or Black Field) Slug [Arion hortensis]
Part of the Round-Back slug family, these tiny blue-black slugs of 4 cm have a yellowish base by the slug’s foot and are very popular in your garden.
Grey-Field (or Milky) Slug [Deroceras reticulatum]
Being only 5 cm long, these popular dwellers change their appearance to a milky-white when they feel harassed. These inoffensive omnivores prefer developed areas like greenhouses and roadsides as they eat algae, worms, and even dead slugs.
Budapest Slug [Tandonia budapestensis]
Growing up to 6 cm, these brownish-grey slugs have a distinctively long keel, which is lighter in color than the rest of their body. Expect them to be eating your potatoes and ornamental plants in your garden.
The Yellow Slug [Limax flavus]
This yellowish-green, medium-sized popular garden dweller is regularly encountered in developed environments growing up to 9cm. They are equipped with distinct blue-grey tentacles and have a relaxed diet of decaying matter and fungi.
Black Slug [Arion Ater]
Growing between 7 to 18 cm and come in assorted colors from black, to brighter shades of orange and red. You’ll find them nibbling away in greenhouses, gardens, and fields.
The Great Grey Slug [Limax Maximus]
With their distinctive large rigged-back and 20 cm stature, these guys are the largest of the keeled slugs. This shady character of grey is commonly found in shady parts of your back garden and sheds.
Shelled Slug [Testacella haliotidea]
Yellowish or grey brownish , this semi-slug grows between 8 to 12 cm while the tiny shell above the tail area is around 7 mm in length. These are very secretive creatures but are commonly found in busy areas like in agricultural fields or the occasional compost heap.