#Panpulmonata

[unnaturalcuriositiesblog]

[animalids]

Kaputar slug (Triboniophorus sp. nov. 'Kaputar')

Photo by n.weigner

[dendroica]

Fluorescent pink slug, unique to Australian mountaintop, survives bushfires | The Guardian

A fluorescent pink slug, found only on a single mountaintop in northern New South Wales, has survived the bushfires that burnt through much of its alpine habitat.

Around 60 of the brightly coloured Mount Kaputar slugs, which can grow to a size longer than a human hand, were spotted by National Parks and Wildlife Service rangers after recent rainfall in Mount Kaputar national park.

The Kaputar fire burnt through the area for more than six weeks from October to December 2019, affecting more than 18,000 hectares of land.

The mountain was formed by a now-extinct volcano, and is home to at least 20 species of snails and slugs found nowhere else in the world. The area has been identified as an endangered ecological community, the first of its kind in Australia.

Some of the fluorescent slugs would have managed to survive the fire because they had “retreated into rock crevices” in the heat, the Australian Museum malacologist Frank Köhler said.

But around 90% of the slug population, which also hibernates in bark and trees, would have been killed in the fire, he said.

Much of the slug’s food sources – fungi, moss and mould – would also have been burnt by the fire, but Köhler said these species should recover relatively quickly.

In coming months the slug might be at risk of being seen more easily in the burnt landscape by hungry birds and mammals, said Köhler, but the bright colour could also act as a warning to dissuade the predators.

[nature-and-biodiversity-blog]

Banff Springs Snails Physella johnsoni

[that-crazy-scorpio-man]

This breaks my heart.

George, the last of his species of Hawaiian land snail, died on New Year’s Day. He was approximately 14 years old.

His death was confirmed by Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources.

George was born as part of a last-ditch effort to save his species. Back in 1997, the last 10 known Achatinella apexfulva were brought into a University of Hawaii lab to try to increase their numbers. Some offspring resulted, but all of them died – except for George.

As the last remaining A. apexfulva, George lived out his days alone in a cage at DLNR’s snail lab in Kailua, Oahu, alongside 30 other species close to extinction.

Those who knew George say he kept to himself.

“For a snail he was a little bit of a hermit,” David Sischo, a wildlife biologist with the Hawaii Invertebrate Program, tells NPR. “I very rarely saw him outside of his shell.”

Sischo said George likely died of old age, as 14 is “up there in snail years.”

George, Reclusive Hawaiian Snail And Last Of His Kind, Dies At 14

Photo: David Sischo/Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources

[femmeslash]

Rabbits are more anxious than horses because they're worried about foxes getting them pregnant

Banana slug is a common name for three North American species of terrestrial slug in the genus Ariolimax. These slugs are often yellow in color and are sometimes spotted with brown, like a ripe (or overripe) banana.Banana slugTwo banana slugs preparing to mateScientific classificationKingdom:AnimaliaPhylum:MolluscaClass:Gastropoda(unranked):clade Heterobranchiaclade Euthyneuraclade Panpulmonataclade Eupulmonataclade Stylommatophorainformal group SigmurethraSuperfamily:ArionoideaFamily:AriolimacidaeSubfamily:AriolimacinaeGenus:AriolimaxMörch, 1859SpeciesAriolimax californicusAriolimax columbianusAriolimax dolichophallusSpeciesEditSpecies within the genus Ariolimax include:Ariolimax californicus J. G. Cooper, 1872 — California banana slug[1]Ariolimax columbianus Gould, 1851 — Pacific banana slug[1]Ariolimax dolichophallus Mead, 1943 — Slender banana slug[1][2][3]DescriptionEditHead and tentacles of a banana slugBanana slugs are often bright yellow (giving rise to the banana sobriquet) although they may also be greenish, brown, tan, or white. The species Ariolimax columbianus sometimes has black spots that are so extensive that the animal looks almost entirely black. Individual slugs will change colors with alterations in food consumption, light exposure, and moisture levels. Color may also indicate whether a slug is healthy or injured or what age it is.[4]The Pacific banana slug is the second-largest species of terrestrial slug in the world, growing up to 25 centimetres (9.8 in) long,[5]and weights of 115 grams (4.1 ounces).[6](The largest slug species is Limax cinereoniger of Europe, which can reach 30 centimetres (12 in) in length.) Banana slugs have an average lifespan of 1-7 years. [7]Banana slugs (like other gastropods and many other mollusks) have a radula, a ribbon-like anatomical structure covered in rows of microscopic teeth; the radula is used for feeding.[8] Individuals can move at 6 1⁄2 inches (17 cm) per minute.[9]Slugs use two pairs of tentacles to sense their environment. The larger, upper pair, termed "eyestalks," are used to detect light or movement. The second, lower pair are used to detect chemicals. The tentacles can retract and extend themselves to avoid damage. If a predator bites off a tentacle, the slug can grow a new one.Banana slugs have a single lung (on the right side) which opens externally via a pneumostome. The pneumostome lung cavity is heavily vascularized to allow gas exchange. Dehydration is a major problem for the mollusk; to combat this, banana slugs excrete a thick coating of mucus around their bodies and can also aestivate. To do so, they secrete a protective layer of mucus and insulate themselves with a layer of soil and leaves. They remain inactive in this state until the environment becomes moist again.This individual Ariolimax columbianus has numerous black spots. The patterning may be so extensive as to make the animal look almost solid black. Banana slugs have a single lung which opens externally via a pneumostome. The placement of the pneumostome on the mantle helps to distinguish the species of Ariolimax.The slime also contains pheromones to attract other slugs for mating. Slugs are simultaneous hermaphrodites, and reproduce by exchanging sperm with their mate. They produce up to 75 translucent eggs, which are laid in a log or on leaves. Slugs mate and lay eggs throughout the year. The adults provide no further care for their eggs beyond finding a suitable hiding spot, and the eggs are abandoned as soon as the clutch is laid.[10]

[reanimateobjects]

[animalids]

Carpathian blue slug (Bielzia coerulans)

Photo by Alan Fenn

[animalids]

Semi-slug (Coloniconcha prima)

Photo by Carlos De Soto Molinari

[animalids]

Red triangle slug (Triboniophorus graeffei)

Photo by Annette Teng

[animalids]

European black slug (Arion ater)

Photo by Michael Rich

[animalids]

Red triangle slug (Triboniophorus graeffei)

Photo by Ken Griffiths

[animalids]

Rainbow drop snail (Helicina clappi)

Photo by John Slapcinsky

[animalids]

Carpathian blue slug (Bielzia coerulans)

Photo by Ondřej Michálek

[animalids]

Land snail (Vitrinula moluensis)

Photo by Chien Lee

[animalids]

Snail (Anisoloma tsarakely)

Photo by John Slapcinsky