One thing I have noticed this year, there seems to be quite a few slugs around. Not surprising. It’s been pretty good weather if you’re a slug.
Because there are so many slugs, I started to notice how different some of them are.
If you think slugs are just slimy, disgusting things, you might not want to look into how many different types there are around here. There sure seem to be a lot. Black slugs, grey slugs, blue slugs, yellow slugs, leopard slugs, brown slugs… a lot of slugs. And, given our seafaring heritage, there are a few who moved here from other places.
I can remember living in Newfoundland and coming across a giant African slug. At least that’s what I was told it was. It was huge. It seemed to be something that had slithered out a nightmare. I think I emptied an entire box of salt on the poor thing in an effort to save all the plants around my house. A neighbour found that rather amusing, and explained that these slugs, about six inches long or more, came in on a shipment of rope during World War II and have been slowly (they are slugs) sliming they way through the province. There were also numerous snails around the area. Basically slugs with a little camper attached, but that’s for another day. The giant slugs were enough of a shock.
Usually I don’t notice slugs that often. You don’t tend to see a lot of them. Although they seem to enjoy my garden and chewing off any little plants that happen to appear. But I also started to notice slugs I saw on a walk in the woods looked a lot different from the ones in the garden. Mostly because they are a different type of slugs.
There are similarities in slugs, but a wide range of different colours. Although I haven’t seen too many of those really big ones around here. I can live without those.