A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Limax Maximus
Limax maximus (literally, "great slug"), also known by common names such as the great grey slug, or the leopard slug, is one of the largest kinds of keeled air-breathing land slug in the world, (Limax cinereoniger being the largest). It is in the family Limacidae, the keeled slugs. Limax maximus is the type species of the genus Limax. The adult slug measures 10-20 cm (4-8 in) in length and is generally a light greyish or grey-brown with darker spots and blotches, although the coloration and exact patterning of the body of this slug species is quite variable. This species has a very unusual and distinctive mating method, where the pair of slugs use a thick thread of mucus to hang suspended in the air from a tree branch or other structure The body length of adults of this slug species is 10-20 cm (4-8 in).[3] The greater part of the body is rounded, but there is a short keel on its tail, with about 48 longitudinal rows of elongate, detached tubercles.[4] The animal's body color is pale-grey, ash-colored, brownish or sometimes yellowish-white. The body is longitudinally streaked or spotted with black. The shield is always black-spotted. The sole of the foot is ash or yellowish-ash colored, and the color is always uniform. The foot-fringe is pale, with a row of minute submarginal blackish tubercles
Although native to Europe, this species has been accidentally introduced to many other parts of the world
The mating habits of Limax maximus are considered unusual among slugs: the hermaphrodite slugs court, usually for hours, by circling and licking each other. After this, the slugs will climb into a tree or other high area and then, entwined together, lower themselves on a thick string of mucus, evert their white translucent mating organs (penises) from their gonopores (openings on the right side of the head), entwine these organs, and exchange sperm. Both participants will later lay hundreds of eggs. A commonly seen practice among many slugs is apophallation, when one or both of the slugs chews off the other's penis. The penis of these species is curled like a corkscrew and often becomes entangled in their mate's genitalia in the process of exchanging sperm. When all else fails, apophallation allows the slugs to separate themselves. Once its penis has been removed, a slug is still able to participate in mating subsequently, but only using the female parts of its reproductive system. Spotted by my wife last nigth,in our backyard
Spotted on Jul 2, 2012
Submitted on Jul 3, 2012
27 Comments (1–25)
Thanks Debbie,for your kind words
Wow, this is something I have never seen before. Thankyou very much for sharing Antonio
Thanks Karen for the honor,this mating ritual is realy amazing and out of common in the animal world.
Thanks Ashley,Tavo and J for your nice comments
Wow! Terrific information and spotting!
GREAT SERIES!!!!
What an interesting find, Antonio!
Fun fact! Sexual reproduction can be a risky business for many species - slugs for instance often have to chew off each other’s penises in order to free themselves after they become entangled during mating!
Slugs are hermaphrodites, and during the mating process they encircle each other and sperm is exchanged through their protruded genitalia. The penises curl like corkscrews and often become entangled. The only way they are able to separate is by one or both of the slugs chewing off the other's penis – a process known as apophallation. Once its penis has been removed, a slug is still able to mate using only the female parts of its reproductive system.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=...
https://twitter.com/projectnoah/status/3...
Thanks Yuko and Lisa for your nice comments :-)
I am having a bit of deja vu :-) Terrific series António!
Fascinating information on their mating habits! I live in the slug country (Pacific NW) and see slugs year-around, but I had no idea this was taking place on on my own backyard (and front yard - they are everywhere)! Thank you Antonio for sharing this!
Thanks Karen,they haved a great blue tranlucide colour :-)
Awesome spot Antonio!
Thanks Jason,slugs haved a amazing mating ritual
Cool creature!
@thanks again Bee.jacbs for your kind words
@thanks Albear for you nice comments
Nice series of shots!
I can't imagine seeing it in my own backyard. Thanks again for the beautiful post. Nice spotting!
:)
Hehe, I think it's because it is not my own spotting, so I can't relate to it in the same way, as if I had taken the photo :) I am normally not disgusted by any animals, but I think this mating act looks a little nasty ;) Photographing has also made get closer to nature in a whole. Before I had a phobia for birds and mice, but it gets better and better each day, because I get focoused on the camera and getting a good shot, so I have to move closer to the birds that I normally would. You are welcome with the ID's I don't spent as much time as wish on PN, so I don't ID a lot. Thank you for your always nice comments :)
Jeannette :) i uderstand you point of vue,i feeled the same before noah,but after spotting snails,earth worm,slugs and other mosty animals,eating each othaer,mating,dieing,borning, i began to se the beauty side of those creatures,they have a kind of cutyness :) sometimes we can se their eyes,and sex is never a "clean" thing ,even beetwen humans,but as beauty at our eyes:) so i hope that you in the future,slowly like me:)began to feel that these guys are from a certain point of vue cute :)
and thanks very much for your allways super inteligent comments and for the inumerous id's you make for me :)
thanks MeganM for your nice comment
Beejacbs,i saw that doc to, imagine when we saw this hapening in our backyard,it's second time,but this time the blue colour and the size of the sex's are out of normal
@thanks Tibiprada for your entusiasm :)
Wow amazing (and disgusting) spotting :)
Wow, very interesting information!