It might not seem like the an 8 inch long leopard slug could put on an amazing sex show. After all, they can be real slimeballs. But actually, these hermaphroditic gastropod mollusks' sexual behavior is quite... well... beautiful.
video link:
The foreplay for the fertilization, which consists of a lot of licking and nibbling, can last up to 2.5 hours. That's about 793 days in slug time. And when it's all over with, both slugs (slowly) retreat to cold and damp hideaways in order to lay their respective sets of eggs.
If you're thinking about eating these monster slugs, please don't. If ingested, leopard slugs can cause a mean case of the meningitis. Evidence here: http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/health/HealthRepublish_969551.htm. An Australian man ate two on a college dare. It turns out they make your brain swell to the size of a swimming pool.
Eat it, freshman.
See that hole in the above picture? As a descendant of aquatic ancestors, leopard slugs (like all land slugs... and snails) have adapted to breathing air by developing a hole on their side which expands and contracts to take in oxygen. The hole was formed as their prehistoric gills disappeared to make way for a fancy set of new, shiny lungs.
(Posted by Andrew on behalf of Katie Thompson, Lowly Intern)
Life Science
Comments
so you say Katie works as a sushi chef, in Googleplex cafeteria? I always had unease about sushi but a slug tempura is OK
Posted by: milkshake | March 26, 2009 7:09 PM
I like this new intern! Molluscs + sex = AWESOME.
Posted by: Miriam | March 26, 2009 8:28 PM
I kind of want to mate with a leopard slug now...
Posted by: Benny | March 27, 2009 11:57 PM
You guys have to get out more. P.Z.Myers had this video up a week ago. Only garnered a hundred comments.
Posted by: Blind Squirrel FCD | March 29, 2009 11:47 PM
Slug sex? That's interesting.
Posted by: Sklep Gekon | March 31, 2009 1:06 PM
Maybe you could elaborate on slug breathing. Many snails have an opening to the mantle cavity. The gills are usually (not always) in the mantle cavity. Pulmonate snails use the lining of the mantle cavity as a lung. Is it particularly convoluted and elaborated in slugs? I wonder how the expanding and contracting of the mantle opening is correlated with moving air in and out (maybe around in?) of the mantle cavity.
Posted by: Jim Thomerson | March 31, 2009 4:11 PM
Hey Blemie Bro's - Are you O.K? It's been quiet in here. I just hope all is well in your world/s. I would think April 1st is a religious holiday for you two. ;-p
Posted by: arachnophile | March 31, 2009 4:22 PM
Yes all is well enough, but stupidly busy. to make matters worse, benny is in Vietnam for 2 weeks for no good reason and im super distracted with the high-fructose corn syrup of zooborns
Posted by: Andrew B. | March 31, 2009 5:23 PM
Yoiks, those slugs are inventive.
Posted by: ym | April 1, 2009 7:02 PM
süperrrrr:)
Posted by: neon | April 3, 2009 3:01 PM
süperrrrr:)
Posted by: neon | April 3, 2009 3:01 PM
star tv
Posted by: Rap | June 19, 2009 8:48 AM
bu sitenin yorum kismi sorunlu
Posted by: Hiphop | June 19, 2009 8:51 AM
hop dedik
Posted by: Hiphop | June 19, 2009 8:53 AM
what do these new england leopard slugs eat??
Posted by: Lisa Furey | July 7, 2009 3:15 PM
My duplex has become some sort of sick and twisted breeding ground for these lovely fellows. it is strangely delicious to watch....thanks for telling me all about them. After there done doing the disgusting things only slugs can do they ingest the slime from which they were hanging which makes it even more amazing. if you're ever asked the question, yes, slugs do swallow ;)
Posted by: Emily Kern | August 23, 2009 11:58 PM