There are very few creatures I dislike and even fewer that just plain give me the heebie jeebies. With that being said, ever since I moved to South Portland I have developed a deep fear/loathing/disgust for a newly discovered gastropod. I am convinced that the Great Gray Slug or the Leopard Slug (Limax maximus) has evolved on this Earth for two reasons:

1.)    Haunting my dreams

2.)    Making walking through the grass at night in flip-flops (while Lo does her business) hell

Luckily, they are not out in full fledge yet, but due to this wet and humid summer, I expect their numbers to be out of control come August. There is no comparison between these and the little orange slugs that nibble on your flower petals when you’re not looking—Leopard slugs are small, slimy snakes in snail suits lurking around every corner waiting to swallow your soul! Ok, so I am being a bit dramatic, but if you ever get to see one of these in person, they do catch you off guard. They are incredibly long for a slug, growing 4-8 inches and have a unique coloration. Depending on the region in which you find them, their exact color pattern can vary, but around here they are a grayish color with black spots/stripes. They are common on the Southern Maine coast, but the picture Nikki sent me was taken in Lewiston (which means the invasion is beginning). These are indeed a non-indigenous species to Maine and are actually native to Europe.

If the appearance alone wasn’t enough to creep you out, they also have quite the interesting sex life.

(DISCLAIMER:  If you happen to be enjoying a snack or light meal while reading this…put it away.)

Like most slugs, these guys are hermaphroditic, meaning they possess both male and female sex organs. Once they choose a mate, courting ensues and can last as long as a few hours. This involves circling each other at speeds which may or may not reach 6 inches/minute.

When they have had enough of the circling nonsense, they find somewhere high such as a tree limb, become entwined and lower themselves via a thick string of mucus. Once hanging, encompassed in each other’s love, out pops the best part—translucent penises. Oh, and of course these come out of the sides of their HEADS! After chit-chatting a bit they exchange sperm and go off by their lonesome to lay hundreds of eggs.

I’m debating whether or not I should share with you the misfortunes they face due to their corkscrew shaped penises, but I guess I’ve come this far…

In the slug world, there is a little term called “Apophallation”. You see, the corkscrew design of their penises often results in entanglement. This then proceeds in one or both slugs chewing each other’s penis off. You’d think after suffering an ordeal such as that they might be alright with that being their last brood during their lifespan, but nope. With their female parts still intact, they can continue using those for reproduction despite the missing penis…(Females FTW).

All I have to say, regarding the mating practices of the Leopard Slug, is if a busy pair of these dropped down above my head while I was standing under a tree, minding my own business, I would probably never be the same again. Maybe I can ease your minds with the fact that we don’t have these hiding in our gardens:

http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2013/06/10/new-hot-pink-slug-found-in-australia/

(Only in Australia would you find something that looks like that…)

For all those gardeners out there, I will leave you with this tip: If you’re looking to deter Leopard Slugs from your gardens with beer, you better plan on picking up a 30 rack 🙂