Leopard slug

Limax maximus · The leopard slug is a large grey, spotted keeled slug that is native to Europe and has been accidentally introduced to many other parts of the world.

Also called Great grey slug, Spotted leopard slug, Tiger slug.

Leopard slug
Photo: Björn S..., CC BY-SA 2.0
Leopard slug
Photo: AliceButcher875, CC0
Leopard slug
Photo: Björn S..., CC BY-SA 2.0

Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumMollusca
ClassGastropoda
OrderStylommatophora
FamilyLimacidae
GenusLimax
SpeciesLimax maximus

Where it lives

Native to Europe; now in gardens, cellars and damp places worldwide.

Fun facts

  • Leopard slugs mate hanging in midair, dangling from a thick thread of mucus beneath a tree branch or other structure.
  • Before mating, leopard slugs court, usually for hours, by circling and licking each other.
  • This slug can learn: it is capable of classical conditioning, a simple kind of associative learning.
  • Leopard slugs have a strong homing instinct and usually return after a night of foraging to the same crevice where they hide.

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Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).