Classification of
slugs
The ancestors of slugs lived in the
sea. They have evolved and changed over the course of time
to form some 103,000 different species today, marine or
terrestrial. The most important change has been the
transformation of gills into lungs.
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Slugs in
the animal kingdom
|
|
Phyllum
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Molluscs
|
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Sub-phyllum
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Conchifleres
|
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Class
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Gasteropods
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Sub-class
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Terrestrial Pulmonates
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Order
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Stylommatophores
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In Europe there are about 40
different species.
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The main slugs found in
France
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Family
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The main
species
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Arionidae
|
Large
red slug:
Arion
rufus
Garden
slug: Arion
hortensis
|
|
Limacidae
|
Great grey slug:
Limax
maximus
Small grey slug:
Deroceras reticulanum
Great yellow slug:
Limax
flavus
|
|
Milacidae
|
Milax
gagates
Milax
nigritans
|
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Boettgerillidae
|
Boettgerilla pallens
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Description of slugs
Slugs measure between 1 and 15 cm.
Their bodies are elongated and can be divided into four
parts:
Medio-dorsal crest ................Mantle or shield
 Tentacles
Caudal mucus gland
....................... Crawling sole
The
head has four tentacles and a mouth. The
upper tentacles have the eyes at their extremities but are
also tactile and olfactory organs. The mouth has two
jaws with
small teeth and a tongue, the
radula, which is also covered with teeth.
The
mantle or shield behind the
head encloses several small pieces or tiny calcareous
sheets, evolutionary remnants of a shell. On the right of
the mantle can be seen the respiratory orifice of the animal which is also called the
pneumostome.
The
caudal part is the part
situated behind the mantle.
The
foot, the ventral muscular
part of the animal. It sticks to the ground using the
crawling
sole.
The
mucus, a liquid secretion
covering the animal's body
keeping it moist. It is also very useful in helping the slug
to move about.
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CLARTEX CDP - B.P. 142
- F-32003 AUCH CEDEX
(France)
++ 33 5 62 63
39 22 
++ 33
5 62 63 64 28
.....................................English translation :