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Index of Subjects hi, it could very well have been a great grey. unless the other species looks similar but is less spotted and more lined. i would have matched it to the picture in the link that flora sent. i will keep an eye out in the yard for another, they are around, and i'll make a better note of its characteristics for you. i'm in sydney, cape breton. enjoy your weekend, jen >From: Jim Wolford <jimwolford@eastlink.ca> >Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca >To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> >CC: Andrew Hebda <HEBDAAJ@gov.ns.ca>, Derek Davis ><ddavis@accesswave.ca> >Subject: [NatureNS] re great grey? slug love? -- location of sighting? etc. >Date: Sat, 04 Aug 2007 17:33:09 -0300 > >I would like to know where Jen's sighting was, and whether she thinks they >were indeed great grey slugs. I remember tracking down a report of these >in >the Cambridge or Coldbrook area west of Kentville, and at the time reading >that this very large and distinctive alien slug was also known from Halifax >but not many or any other areas of the province, as of perhaps 20 years >ago? > >Perhaps we can get an update from Andrew Hebda, or Chris Majka, or ideally >from Derek Davis, who has done a lot of work on documenting land snails and >slugs for Nova Scotia? > >Cheers from Jim in Wolfville >---------- >From: jen cooper <iffercooper@hotmail.com> >Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca >Date: Thu, 02 Aug 2007 22:13:36 +0000 >To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca >Subject: RE: [NatureNS] slug love? > >very, very cool. thank you for such a great, in depth response! i suppose >not many can say they've seen that. it was quite beautiful. > >:) jen > > >From: "Wild Flora" <herself@wildflora.com> > >Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > >To: <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> > >Subject: RE: [NatureNS] slug love? > >Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2007 17:42:51 -0300 > > > >Thank you, Jen, for giving the the opportunity to quote the following. > >(We'll see if it gets past the censors.): > > > >According to the Western Society of Malacologists "Field Guide to the >Slug" > >(Sasquatch Books), > > > >"Although slugs are hermaphroditic, each animal equipped with both male >and > >female reproductive organs, they mate with themselves only if no other > >slugs > >are around. ... The actual exchange of sperm is preceded by an elaborate > >courtship ritual, which supposedly reduces the chances of two individuals > >of > >separate species mating and giving rise to hybrids. > > > >"During courtship, two slugs will circle each other, often for hours, >with > >both partners engaged in ritualized bouts of lunging, nipping, and > >sideswiping with their tails. The two slugs may also display their > >disproportionately large sex organs. ... > > > >"'The sight of a courting pair of slugs majestically circling one another > >and ceremoniously rasping each other's flanks while they solemnly wave > >their > >enormous penises overhead puts the most improbably athletic couples of > >Pompeii and Khajuraho into a more appropriate and severely diminished > >perspective,' note researchers C. David Rollo and William G. Wellington. > >'Athletic' is an even more appropriate adjective for great gray garden > >slugs, which are able to copulate in midair, suspended by stretchy >strands > >of mucus up to 17 3/4 (45 cm) long." > > > >In short, it seems likely that you caught a couple of great gray garden > >slugs in flagrante dilecto. What you saw hanging from them was probably > >their swollen genital areas. It wouldn't have been egg, as these are laid > >later, in a more conventional (i.e., chicken-like) fashion, or babies as > >the > >eggs don't hatch for several weeks, if not longer. > > > >The great gray garden slug, Limax maximus, is from Eurasia but apparently > >is > >not considered a pest species as it eats mainly decaying material. It's > >fairly recognizable because it has leopardlike spots or on the mantle, > >often > >with a striped body. Photo at >http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek000608.html > > > > > >-----Original Message----- > >From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca >[mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] > >On Behalf Of jen cooper > >Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2007 10:36 AM > >To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > >Subject: [NatureNS] slug love? > > > >last night i found two slugs hanging on a mucous thread from the side of >my > >house. they were entwined in a really beautiful spiral. there was > >something > > > >hanging from them. it came from each of them and looked like it >originated > >behind their heads. but it was dark and i didnt want to disturb them too > >much so i'm really not sure... it was fleshy and also wrapped in a spiral > >around the other. i would guess that this was iether sex organs or >perhaps > >little baby slugs? they looked sluggy but where smaller and whitish and >so > >entwined that i could not pick out any characteristics like antenae or > >anything. > > > >when i went back later to check on them one slug was on the step below >and > >the other was on the mucous thread, i imagine eating it. there were no > >fleshy bits present then. does anyone have any idea what i witnessed? any > >slug love experts? > > > >:) jen > > > >_________________________________________________________________ > >Show Your Messenger Buddies How You Really Feel > >http://www.freemessengeremoticons.ca/?icid=EMENCA122 > > > > > >_________________________________________________________________ >Share More On Messenger with a Windows Live Space >http://spaces.live.com/?mkt=en-ca _________________________________________________________________ Put Your Face In Your Space with Windows Live Spaces http://spaces.live.com/?mkt=en-ca
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