Slug body parts
Use the ‘Identify a slug – body parts’ spotter guide to help you answer the questions below. The spotter guide explains the words used here, and the photographs will also be helpful to refer back to. It may sometimes be very difficult to identify a slug – especially if it is not fully grown. Why not use this to help you identify the slugs you find in your school garden?
Note: This guide will not help to identify snails!
Shell
Does your slug have a visible shell? * Yes ❏ No ❏
If it has a shell, what size is it? ............................cm
If your slug has a shell, draw a picture of it in the box below:
Size
How long is your slug? ........................cm
How long is the mantle of your slug? ....................cm
Mantle
Is the slug’s breathing pore in the front half of the mantle or the back half?*
Front (nearer head) ❏ Back (behind middle of mantle) ❏
What colour is the rim of the breathing pore?.....................................
Does the mantle have rings on it a bit like a fingerprint? Yes ❏ No ❏
If so, are these rings centred in the middle of the mantle or off to the right near the breathing pore?
Centre ❏ To the right ❏
Colour
Upper body colour.......................................
Mantle colour................................................
Side colour....................................................
Sole colour....................................................
Foot fringe colour.........................................
Tentacle colour.............................................
Does your slug have any stripes or spots?.........................................
What colour and position are they?......................................................
Tail
Does your slug have a keel? * Yes ❏ No ❏
If so, how far does the keel go from the tail-tip?*
all the way from tail-tip to mantle ❏ partway ❏
Is the tail-tip gradual or steep (truncated)?..........................................
Draw the tail shape (side view) in the box below:
Sole
Are there v- shaped marks (chevrons) in the middle of the sole? Yes ❏ No ❏
Mucus
Is the mucus sticky? Yes ❏ No ❏
What colour is the mucus? (This may be different on the top of the body and the sole)
....................................................................................................................
Use the space below to dab the mucus to see what colour it is.
Body
Are the tubercles coarse or fine?........................................
When alarmed or resting the slug may contract its body. What shape does the slug’s body make when it is contracted?
Draw this in the three boxes below.
Draw the slug's body side view here: |
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Draw the cross-section view here: |
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Draw the view from above here: |
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