Slug

Scientific Name: Deroceras reticulatum (Example of a common species)

Order & Family: Order: Stylommatophora; Family: Various (e.g., Agriolimacidae)

Size: Typically 1 to 10 cm depending on species and age.

Damp, moist environments, gardens, under rocks, or leaf litter.

Mostly herbivorous, feeding on living and decaying plant matter, fungi, and sometimes other slugs.

Nocturnal and moisture-dependent; they move via a muscular foot and leave a characteristic slime trail.

Benefits the ecosystem as decomposers; can be pests in gardens; some species may carry parasites like lungworm if ingested by pets.

Identified on: 4/21/2026