Reply #37: How did you pick it up?

[Dangerously Amused]

Are slugs like fish, ie, do you have to touch it with something wet so you don't wreck the coat of slime? Or is that just an old wives tale?

Also, what did it do when you picked it up? Did it like, struggle? Or curl up into a ball? Or go all limp?



ETA: OMG! I got curious abut this slug and wondered what its predators are (ie, wondered if the slime serves as any defensive mechanism). I haven't found the answer to that question yet, but check this out:

Mating
The mating habits of Limax maximus are considered unusual among slugs: the hermaphrodite slugs court, usually for hours, by circling and licking each other. After this, the slugs will climb into a tree or other high area and then, entwined together, lower themselves on a thick string of mucus, evert their white translucent mating organs (penises) from their gonopores (openings on the right side of the head), entwine these organs, and exchange sperm. Both participants will later lay hundreds of eggs.

A commonly seen practice among many slugs is apophallation, when one or both of the slugs chews off the other's penis. The penis of these species is curled like a cork-screw and often becomes entangled in their mate's genitalia in the process of exchanging sperm. When all else fails, apophallation allows the slugs to separate themselves. Once its penis has been removed, a slug is still able to participate in mating subsequently, but only using the female parts of its reproductive system.

Source: wikipedia

:wow: