Snail & Slug, Love or War? Can Anyone Tell Me What is Going On Here?
This morning in my garage, this snail was all over this slug. I was totally fascinated by the horrible and beautiful spectacle, but not being knowledgeable in the ways of snails or slugs, I have no idea what this interaction means. Can anyone help unravel this mystery?
Tags: andrea dean, snails slugs
January 8th, 2010 at 7:33 pm
Watch out!! there may be giant mutant in your yard soon. What’s the gestation period for snugs?
January 8th, 2010 at 8:55 pm
It’s a snug fest!
January 9th, 2010 at 3:26 pm
The snail is a predator, Rosy Wolf Snail, Euglandina rosea, an invasive species. It was introduced in 1955 intentionally to combat the African snail. The Rosy Wolf Snail does eat snails and slugs, but unfortunately it prefers easy prey, so doesn’t really go after the giant African snails. What’s worse is that it has been devastating to our native snail populations, and has played a major role in their extinction.
So maybe what you’ve caught in the act is cannibalism. I don’t think you want either critter.
January 26th, 2010 at 11:30 pm
This from Peter Kowalke via email:
Aaa…..quite a conundrum—given the gonic nature of the two
seemingly friendly creatures— one might be tempted to suspend
disbelief and absorb the facade of love in the making, but alas the
verisimilitude of the coupling is revealed as I know the pernicious
nature of the snail on top. A Machiavellian shelled slug she
is—defiling the skin of her feigned amour…sucking the life juices
from the land locked mollusk below…perhaps in cartoons this may be
love — but in your garage it is capricious unrepented murder.
Yours truly,
Pekelo the sayer of truthyness…