The Black Slug (Arion Ater) is a large terrestrial gastropod mollusk that is native to Europe. They are known to be deep black, and their pigmentation darkens with increasing latitude. Young Black Slugs are brown or ivory, and they turn gray before becoming black at maturity. Black Slugs are omnivores, and their diet includes fungi, carrion, earthworms, leaves, stems, and dead plant material. They produce three forms of mucus to prevent them from dying of dehydration. Thin mucus covers the slug laterally, and the thicker mucus is secreted along the length of the slug. The vile-tasting mucus scares of predators.
Black Slugs have a length between 3.15”-5.91” (8-15 cm), body width from .59”-1.18” (1.5-3 cm), and height of .55”-.98” (1.4-2.5 cm). The typical lifespan of the Black Slug is 1-2 years.
The Black Slug (Arion Ater) is a large terrestrial gastropod mollusk that is native to Europe. They are known to be deep black, and their pigmentation darkens with increasing latitude. Young Black Slugs are brown or ivory, and they turn gray before becoming black at maturity. Black Slugs are omnivores, and their diet includes fungi, carrion, earthworms, leaves, stems, and dead plant material. They produce three forms of mucus to prevent them from dying of dehydration. Thin mucus covers the slug laterally, and the thicker mucus is secreted along the length of the slug. The vile-tasting mucus scares of predators.
Black Slugs have a length between 3.15”-5.91” (8-15 cm), body width from .59”-1.18” (1.5-3 cm), and height of .55”-.98” (1.4-2.5 cm). The typical lifespan of the Black Slug is 1-2 years.