Wildlife Watching Wednesday: The Slimy Garden Slug

By; Tom Berg

Anyone who has a vegetable garden or flower garden has probably seen a common garden slug.  These slimy gastropods are actually a type of mollusk, similar to a snail, but they do not have a protective shell.  Their scientific name is Arion hortensis.  They are usually simply called garden slugs, but other names include black field slug, striped slug, garden arion and darkface arion.

These slugs are not native to the United States – they were introduced here from Europe.  They are typically 1-1.5 inches in length, and are somewhat variable in color.  They can be brown, gray or even black, with yellowish or orange sides.  There are often small stripes on the rear half of its body and it has two pairs of tentacles or “feelers” on its head.  The tentacles are sometimes bluish or even reddish in color.

Garden slugs inhabit areas that are consistently very damp, which also offer plenty of shade.  Gardens, shaded lawns, pastures and overgrown fields provide good habitat for them.  They prefer protected, shady areas as they offer protection from the elements and from many types of predators that might be hunting them.

Garden slugs are considered to be beneficial since they help decompose and break down organic matter and animal matter.  As they do this, they recycle nutrients back into the soil and make it richer.  However, they are thought to be pests by gardeners who don’t like them eating the leaves of their vegetable plants or flowers.  They also leave behind a distinctive slime trail as they move through the garden and over sidewalks.  Luckily, the slime does no harm.

Like many small gastropods, garden slugs often become a food source for other creatures like birds, raccoons, opossums, snakes, toads and other animals.  They are an important part of the environment and many different ecosystems.  So the next time you see a garden slug slithering along the ground, please leave it in peace.  The environment will thank you. 

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