Look who I found just mooching along the coast path. This is a Black Slug.
I’m going to have to admit that since stepping on one in the dark, barefoot, slugs are not exactly my favourite creatures. But getting right up close to this one has helped me see them in a whole new light.
As it raises itself up to investigate the camera you can see the intricacies of its mouthparts, its translucent tentacles and beautiful tiger-striped foot fringe. Its glistening skin is a rainbow of blues, purples, greens and greys and the way it moves is really quite mesmerising. Its open breathing pore creates an intriguing insight into the inner workings of this wonderful creature and this prompted me to find out a little more.
Slugs are related to snails and at some point in the distant past sacrificed their ancestral shell. The advantage of this may be that snails require calcium to build their shells and are often restricted to alkaline-rich soils. Slugs however can live on a variety of soils and have therefore adopted a more varied diet. Although they have shed the safety of the shell, they are able to flatten themselves to squeeze into narrow cracks which enables them to shelter from predators and reduces the increased risk of evaporation from exposed skin.
Slugs are largely nocturnal. They have poor eyesight and detect food, moisture and potential mates by smell and taste. They often follow the trail of other slugs which also avoids the need to create their own mucus. Slugs tend to overwinter as small juveniles or eggs and become active when the weather begins to warm.
The Black Slug, also known as Great Black Slug, Large Black Slug and Black Arion, is an adaptable and resilient creature that can be found in most temperate habitats and occasionally in our gardens.
Although it may be seen as a garden pest in spring when it feasts on tender plants, the Black Slug is omnivorous and so for the rest of the year can be an asset. It will eat meat scraps and so is a useful composter of food waste and even pet poop.