SNAILS AND SLUGS

Leopard Slug, Limax maximus

Class: Gastropoda (Snails and Slugs)

Size: Up to 6"

Habitat: Woodlands, gardens, urban areas

Range: Throughout North America

Also known as the “spotted garden slug,” this species is indigenous to Europe but is now common and widespread in North America, and is the slug you are most likely to see under rocks and scraps of wood in your backyard. The body is grayish or brown with black “leopard spots” on the mantle and broken black lines along the sides and lower back. There is a long, muscular foot and two sets of retractable tentacles on the head for smelling and light detection. The posterior of the body is wrinkled and slightly keeled. Leopard Slugs feed on plants, decaying organic material, and mushrooms, and are sometimes pests in gardens. They lay a mass of clear, round eggs that develop directly into small slugs. Active at night, they will become dormant in times of dry weather.