Leopard slug in Southern Ontario

[inkl]

I live just East of Toronto, and found a Leopard Slug crossing the bike path in my town. I brought it home and now it's munching away on some red pepper. I gave it some cauliflower and cucumber as well (the only vegetables in my fridge...).

I'll upload pictures if anyone's curious but I'm fairly certain it's a Leopard Slug. I'd like to keep it, considering I don't want to kill it and it's an invasive species. Does anyone know what types of food are best for these guys? It's pretty awesome, about 6 inches long and was moving across the bike path at a pretty good clip when I came across it. The slime trail it leaves behind is incredible.

 

[inkl]

Apologies for the cell phone picture!

 

[koolkid98]

Nice they usually eat basicly any plants and need moisture they can also be quite the exscape artists.

 

[Exo]

We probably have them where I live, but I've never seen one, unfortunately.

 

[blazetown]

Yeah that's definitely not local lol. I used to get these guys and a few other goodies that would come in on plant shipments when I was a little guy. My father worked for an importer at the time. It's likely that your slug escaped from someone else or went unnoticed on a shipment of exotic plants.

 

[beetleman]

i used to keep these slimeballs also ,along with the banana slugs too,very cool animals and yeah easy to keep,keep them moist all the time,good sized containers will do,moss on the bottom(keep it very moist)and yeah make sure the lid is on good,or the'll be out and about:drool: all types of veggies(romain lettuce is a favorite)also dry dog food.they are not picky.hope this helps alittle,oh yeah ofcourse keep them cool and out of the sun they will sizzle up like bacon.

 

[inkl]

I only have a smallish container at the moment but I'll change that - at least the lid is very tight.
For a nocturnal animal, it sure has been active today, it still seems to prefer the red pepper (apparently cauliflower is confusing and cucumber is not worth exploring). I had Giant African Land Snails a few years back and found that they'd go crazy on iceberg lettuce but would turn their noses up at romaine, or only eat the ribs. Lettuce snobs, the lot of them.

When I had it sitting on my arm I could look into its body via the "lung" on the side, and actually see the green hemolymph! Too cool!

Thanks for the advice! Now I want to find another to see them mate. Has anyone else seen that clip from "Life in the Undergrowth"?

Oh, another question. Do slugs like beer as much as snails?

 

[koolkid98]

Yes they do like beer.

 

[beetleman]

beer...........oh yeah they love it(slugaholicks) you put some bottles/cans of alittle beer out,and they will come a crawlin.

 

[Endagr8]

cool!

Thanks for the advice! Now I want to find another to see them mate. Has anyone else seen that clip from "Life in the Undergrowth"?

I just watched a slug mating video on Youtube; it was awesome!

Considering that you find another one, and it happens to be of the opposite sex, won't you need an arboreal (or at least something hanging from the roof) setup?

 

[koolkid98]

I think slugs are both female and male.

 

[Endagr8]

I think slugs are both female and male.

I think you're correct. :8o


...considering you find another sexually mature slug, won't you need an arboreal setup?

 

[koolkid98]

Nah all you need is a stick and that is it then they mate on the stick.

 

[inkl]

Slugs are hermaphroditic, so no need to find the opposite sex. I saw two garden slugs mating in my backyard a little while ago, it was very cool.

 

[blazetown]

Yeah it's weird to see. Make sure you don't give it too much beer. The slugs, snails and earwigs will all come drink from a saucer of beer but they also drown. I've used set-ups with beer to kill off garden pests in that fashion. Oh yeah and make sure you wash your hands after handling it or else CFIA will have no reason to have banned giant slugs and snails....

 

[Dreamslave]

The link to the awesome leopard slug mating video! Truly amazing!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhVi4Z6CjZk&feature=fvsr

 

[OldHag]

awwwwww we used to have those where I grew up!! I always had a pet slug or 10. I fed them cucumbers.... they loved them. They liked paper too as I recall... though I wouldnt suggest that.

 

[GailC]

I used to have a big slug like that, it lived under the porch and was out every night for a few months. I would feed it raw potato or what ever I had laying around at the time. I wouldn't mind having one to keep indoors now and I wish giant land snails were legal in the states

 

[arachyd]

Around here they are public enemy #2 (mosquitoes are #1). They get into everything leaving slime on the handles of my trash cans, defoliating my garden, trailing ickiness through my home and all over the dogs' food bowls. They even climb up into my rabbit hutches and help themselves to the bowls of pellets leaving slime on everything. I thought they were cool when I moved here but now they are the enemy.

 

[Malhavoc's]

Around here they are public enemy #2 (mosquitoes are #1). They get into everything leaving slime on the handles of my trash cans, defoliating my garden, trailing ickiness through my home and all over the dogs' food bowls. They even climb up into my rabbit hutches and help themselves to the bowls of pellets leaving slime on everything. I thought they were cool when I moved here but now they are the enemy.

if I remember correctly a small pie tin of Wine left in the garden is great for these guys. as often they will fall in and drown (attracted to it for whatever reason) I am not exactly sure if that is the trap layout. but I believe so. quite effective trap.