Leopard Slug Facts!

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Leopard_Slug_Limax_maximus
Image credit: Max0rz cc2.0

Leopard Slug Facts!

Leopard_Slug_Limax_maximus
Image credit: Max0rz cc2.0

Leopard Slugs are usually a grayish yellow color with black spots or bands (hence the name). They are rather large slugs, measuring 10–20 cm in length and have four tentacles on their heads – two short and two long. They can be found in gardens, fields and woods, preferring moist, shady places they stay under rocks, logs and similar cooler places during the day and come out at night.

Search for Food

Leopard_slug_slime_trail
Leopard slug–and slime trail by nordique cc2.0

When searching for food at night a leopard slug glides on a cushion of slime, leaving a trail it can use to find its way to the same feeding spot again. It eats leaves, flowers, fruits, mushrooms, carrion (dead animals) and even other slugs. It does have predators of its own like toads, turtles, birds and large beetles. The slug causes a lot of damage to gardens so it is regarded as a pest by most people. However it also has an advantage, because it sometimes eats the unwanted weeds as well.




Hermaphrodite Leopard Slug

Tigerschnegel_Eiablage
With egg cluster by Lokilech GFDL

The leopard slug is a hermaphrodite, which means that it has both male and female reproductive organs. Therefore after mating both slugs lay eggs. These eggs are transparent, slightly yellowish in colour and are lightly attached to each other in a cluster.

Leopard Slugs are featured in the following book:
25 Nocturnal Animals


The YouTube video playlist below contains videos about Leopard Slugs. Details of the videos featured are underneath.

The Playlist:

  1. Big Beautiful Leopard Slug by stephersays
  2. Handling Adult Leopard Slug – Limax maximus by TheTyro




1 COMMENT

  1. I found a leopard slug in the back yard that ran over a grasshopper and the grasshopper was struggling like it was dying, I asks if leopard slugs are poisonous to grasshoppers and nothing should up. I think ether the slug ate something of the grasshopper or the slim from the slug is suffocating the grasshopper?

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