#semi-slugs

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Green Shell Semi-Slug: the researchers who discovered this species originally wanted to name it "Ibycus felis," because it often rests with its tail curled around its body, which reminded them of a sleeping cat

The Latin name of this species is Ibycus rachelae, but it's also known as a green-shelled or long-tailed semi-slug. The species was first described in 2008, and it is found only in the montane forests of Sabah (Borneo) and Peninsular Malaysia.

The term "semi-slug" refers to an intermediate stage of evolution as a snail evolves into a slug. These snails still have shells that are at least partially visible, but they have been reduced to the point where the shell can no longer accommodate the snail's whole body. There are many different species of semi-slug, but most of them have a noticeably reduced, receding, and/or transparent shell that is partially concealed beneath the mantle.

This article describes another peculiar characteristic of semi-slugs (including Ibycus rachelae):

... semi-slugs don’t just look weird, they act weird, too. They employ sharp projectiles called love darts in their courtship rituals, by shooting several of them at a prospective mate. The mate, in turn, shoots several love darts right back.

Researchers have found that if semi-slugs are able to lodge love darts into one another, the subsequent copulation tends to be much more successful. It’s thought that the mucus distributed by the love dart ensures greater survivability of the sperm

This is what the "love darts" look like (when magnified under SEM):

The tiny, harpoon-like structures are made of calcium carbonate, and they transmit certain hormones (via mucus) that help to increase the likelihood of reproductive success. Semi-slugs are not the only gastropods that use "love darts," however; they are also used by some other land snails and slugs.

Sources & More Info:

World Wildlife Fund: Borneo's New World (PDF)

Basteria (Journal): The Slugs and Semislugs of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo (PDF)

Forest Research Institute Malaysia: Introduction to the Land Snails and Slugs of Malaysia (PDF)

Malay Peninsular Terrestrial Molluscs: Ibycus rachelae

Live Science: World's Longest Bug and 'Ninja' Slug Discovered in Borneo

Australian Geographic: Meet the Semi-Slug, a Snail without a Home

[ljsbugblog]

Large female brown huntsman (aka jungle huntsman) resting under a log beside a pair of iridescent semi-slugs. I love huntsman spiders, they get a bad rap because of how fast they can move, but they're beautiful, docile gentle giants ❤️ 🕷

Jungle Huntsman Spider, female (Heteropoda jugulans), Iridescent Semi-Slug (two individuals, Ubiquitarion iridis).

[herpsandbirds]

Green Semi-slug (Ibycus rachelae), family Helicarionidae, endemic to Borneo

Semi-slugs have small partial shells that are either partially or completely covered by part of the mantle.

photograph by Albert Kang

[ghostowlattic]

"Meet the long-tailed semi-slug (Ibycus rachelae). This critter, and other semi-slugs, still have shells like snails. But unlike the shells of snails, semi-slugs’ shells are too small for the animals to retract their bodies into."

[onenicebugperday]

Mustard semi-slug, Echinix ochracea, Xanthonychidae

Semi-slugs are a type of intermediate gastropod between slugs and snails - they retain a shell, but it is partially or completely hidden by the mantle.

Photographed in Mexico by alan_rockefeller

[patheticmosasaur1]

today's invertebrate........attenborougharion rubicundus

the googalabooga is here, and it cometh to spew bile at you!!!! from its dreadful bile sac of gross and eww and yuckiness!!!

!it spew bile at you like bleeghhfbebwbebbgbehehgbghegbgvbb!!!! it's the coming!!!!

to spit the the bile at the you!!!!!!! the scary!!! the scary!!! the scary!!! the AAAAAAAHH!!! it's bile shooting at the you because scray!!!!!! bile!!!!!!

glorpiness rating: the glunch

source

[plaguedocboi]

Slorgs

I think slugs should get bigger. I’m talking like land slugs the size of a small dog. We should have those.

Also have a jumping slug preparing to launch

[dragonkick-bootshine]

tragically I cannot find the specific post which inspired this but @realbeefman's vampire!wilson au posts are driving me to madness (positive)

bonus doodle heehoo. detail shots and progress pics under the cut :3

(originally it was just gonna be their shoulders and up but I was like "oh YO yknow what would be so sappy and gay" and added the hands + torso)

[shkika]

SPEARMASTER ENJYOER HERE WAHKJGDSJDAJHS UR COMICS ARE SO GOOD!!!!

Curious................what happened to spearmasters parents/how does suns know them? And also why did suns remove spears mouth?!

Suns used to often direct creatures to their can to help them! As insufferable as they are, they did do good. Even if it was a way to cope and feel better with what they have been made to do by their colony before it all ascended.

Those two slugcats are critters that have passed by before and it’s why when their child is sickly and needs aid, they come to Suns!

Also Suns removes Spearmaster’s mouth, because it’s a good design choice for a messenger! I think it’s very underappreciated how well they modified the little guy. A mouth would risk the pearls getting lost on the way! It being inside them helps with both that issue and, according to Suns, gives them a sense of purpose.

Of course to make up for the lack of vocalization, they were taught sign language so that they could still express themselves and be communicated to. Suns expressed that they did care about understanding this creature, they didn’t want communication to be one way. I find it really charming if SRS ended up being very surprised with just how smart this slug cat turned out to be. I know I am! This thing can write! SM writes “Hunter” in one of their sleeping doodles iirc.

SM also marks a shelter for messengers or other creatures that come after it in Pebbles’ underhang.

[imagepilled]

[rattyexplores]

18/12/23 - Fastosarion brazieri

QLD:WET - Washed up flood debris

[gay-artificer]

Honestly gotta think more about the 'nasty' sides of my anthro au societies... As is the slugcat trend and biology I've charted out is mostly, i guess the word would be 'safe' perhaps the only kinda gross or animalistic thing I've put in is the tail slime and even that isn't really as gritty as the thing is based on (Caecillian skin nursing) but I also don't think slugcats would be prone to much of the 'unsavory' trends in animal stuff. But on the anthro side, we really can't pretend like ANY established species and cultures dont have things that were kinda unethical- even if they were unethical behaviors borne out of convenience or safety. So I think going for a pure, utopia-but-like-theres-predators is a little lamer... At most I've sorta worked out how I think my anthro scavenger's societal structures play out and there are more peaceful and more war-like tribes, pirate-types, etc. I've sorta figured out a couple of less-than-ethical treatments for lizards that I could see emerging in an early society that doesn't go for straight culling or just like outright abusive- I want stuff that could reasonably exist in a society, even if only for a bit until something else takes its place as a more convenient option. I don't like comically evil or pointlessly dark shit that clearly just trying to for edge rather than being an aspect of a society you could see the understanding for, and why its not judged within that society. Like sure a regular scavenger probably doesn't think that much about killing a normal slugcat pup, thats just an animal to it. But if we're making them both anthros in the same situation why the hell wouldn't other scavengers be like holy fuck dude thats like, absolutely just a baby person, thats bad.

[dewisnation]

Just watched that coco match in full and sis took winning ugly quite literally…

[rissslays]

im a home wrecker im a slut (true)

[many-gay-magpies]

got i want to watch fifteenth doctor season so bad i am eating rocks

[bunjywunjy]

So let me get this straight:

Sea otter: has functional legs, can walk on land, but can give birth in water = "fully-marine mammal"

Seal: basically a paraplegic slug dog out of water, can only flop around on land, but has to give birth on land = "semi-aquatic mammal"

yeahhh I might show up to a marine biologist conference with a set of bullet points and my own projector about this one