Slug

Damp environments, including gardens, forests, under rocks, and leaf litter.

Mostly herbivorous, feeding on living and decaying plant matter, fungi, and occasionally animal waste or other slugs.

Nocturnal and moisture-dependent; they secrete mucus to move and prevent desiccation. They are hermaphroditic and lay clutches of gelatinous eggs.

Benefits: Act as decomposers in the ecosystem. Risks: Significant garden and agricultural pests. Some species can carry parasites like the rat lungworm (Angiostrongylus cantonensis) if ingested by humans or pets.