This is the Large Red Slug (Arion (Arion) rufus), and its slimy kind really like to set up camp in my garden to chomp on my plants. Now most people know if you want to reduce the slug population in your garden you can dig a hole in the ground and bury a small container of beer whereby the slugs will be attracted, fall in and will drown their sorrows, and themselves in the process. Another way is to sprinkle salt on them where they will meet a most horrible gooey death. However, contrary to them dying by salt, I came across this one munching on a crisp this afternoon on my back decking, which I thought was quite an odd thing to witness, to say the least.
This was a beef and onion crisp, yes it was salted, and it could not get enough of it. It devoured the lot, and mopped up any remaining crumbs in one sitting. After desert (too disgusting to mention) it casually slid off between a narrow crack in the decking.
September 2017, Staffordshire, England.
That’s amazing. It’s so worth coming here Pete, a mini marvel every visit. What a fab looking slug too. Try a quiet dinner for two tomorrow evening and see what develops.
– Esme winking upon the Cloud
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Thank you very much, Esme π I think whatever may develop tomorrow evening will most likely go very slowly π
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Hahahahaha!
– Esme Cloud setting the slo-mo cam up laughing
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You got me so chuckling here, Esme! π
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Gorgeous detail, Pete. What brand of chips? Perhaps the manufacturer (or his opponents) would want to use Arion in an upcoming ad campaign?
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Thank you, Sally π They are Walkers, and yep maybe he or she, or both he and she, could do an advertising camapign for them like you say π
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Oh, that is an amazing but strange sight. The close-up photos are nice. I’m glad you caught it in time for photos.
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Thank you very much, Miriam π I don’t think it was going anywhere until it had finished eating, lol! π
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Oh, I see. The eating was slow, I imagine!
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I’m feeling rather sluggish after my own lunch here hehe. Great observations Peter! Not the handsomest fellow but once again, a revelation about an animal I would never see up close.
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Haha! π
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Eww, I can’t believe I liked slug photographs π¦
I’ve never liked slimy critters and I once stood on a slug in my bare feet and it squished up between my toes….. I’m still traumatised 20 years later!
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I sure would be traumatised by that, too, if that happened to me!
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God’s teeth. That’s too close for comfort. And eating crisps. What next?
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They are already partial to beer, so I guess crisps go with that quite well π
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Has to be Salt ‘n Vinegar. Everyone know slugs hate salt ‘n vinegar crisps.
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Beef and onion π
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Strange goings-on in your gardenπ but a very handsome slug!
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Strange indeed π Thank you, Belinda π
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Interesting tidbit, but so NOT my favorite animal. π
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Not one of my favourites either, for they love my petunias, French Marigolds, and just about any other plant in my garden, and now I know they like crisps, too π
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Nice shots. I remember pouring salt on them as a kid. Can’t believe how cruel we were. Of course we used to make jewelry out of lightning bug/firefly “lights”. Can’t imagine being able to do that stuff now.
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Thank you, David π I think as kids we did things we would not dream of doing as adults.
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Super photos! I don’t mind slugs but relieved we don’t have these red slugs in our neck of the woods. Our small slugs simply dine on our hosta leaves… so far.
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Thank you, Annie π You mentioning hosta leaves, mine have really suffered this year again. Even though they grow in a pot the slugs manage to dine on them so they look so shredded and tattered I am amazed they grow at all!
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Our small slugs are very well-behaved. They dine on hidden hosta leaves. We’d never know unless we lift and look beneath to the lower leaves. Good little slugs…
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I guess some slugs are just junk food eaters π What a bright colour it is too – I’ve never seen an orange slug before.
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π I have known some slugs to creep into peoples houses and feed on pet food which has been left out over night, and they have also climbed up my bird table and fed on bird seed.
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Just pray you don’t get the Arion vulgaris/lusitanicus.
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These are bad enough, with more visiting, too π
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For a couple of years we noticed them but oh well… All of a sudden the population has exploded, we could collect them by the 1000’s. But they are all over the fields too, on the move, it would be useless.
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I have heard how bad they can be. With the mild winter here there has been an explosion of slugs and snails in general here. Unfortunately it is a battle which cannot be won, especially with the decline of some of their natural predators like the hedgehog.
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And I assume you had a meal of escargot after this slimy photo-op?
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Er, no thank you π
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Wonderful slimy macro Pete! I wonder if he’d have enjoyed salt& vinegar flavour just as much π
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Lol π Thank you, Jude π I will have to lay out a selection and see what his favourite flavour is π
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In close up it looks like a rather jolly character from a sci fi movie. Great macro shots!
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Thank you, Carol π Jabba the Hutt, maybe? π
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βΊ
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The pictures are so funny! Great macros!
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Thank you, Simone π This one was fun for me π
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