Red Slug

Taxobox
name = Red slug

---

image_width = 200px
status = NE
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Mollusca
classis = Gastropoda
ordo = Pulmonata
familia = Arionidae
genus = "Arion"
species = "A. rufus"
binomial = "Arion rufus"
binomial_authority = (Linnaeus, 1758)

The red slug, also known as the chocolate arion or the European red slug, "Arion rufus", is a large land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Arionidae, the roundback slugs. It is characterised by its usually red or brown body and lack of a keel.

Description

At most, a full-grown red slug can extend to be approximately 18 cm (7 in) in length; although they usually only grow to be 7–10 cm (2.7–3.9 in) long.

Its genus, "Arion", is derived from the name of the legendary Greek poet "Arion". Its species name, "rufus", is Latin for "red". Although very often brick-red or brown in coloration, "Arion rufus" can also be greenish-brown, black, yellow, or orange.

Perhaps the red slug's most noticeable feature is the placement of its pneumostome just before the mid-point of its mantle. Like all slugs, the red slug moves relatively slowly, using the muscular contractions of the underside of its foot, which is mostly red with stripes.

The red slug, like all other slugs, uses two pairs of tentacles to sense its environment. The darkly-coloured upper pair, called "optical tentacles", is used to sense light. The lower pair provide the red slug's sense of smell. Both pairs can retract and extend themselves to avoid hazards, and, if lost to an accident or predation, can be regrown.

Distribution

The red slug typically lives in gardens, fields, or other wooded areas near human activity. It is most common in western and central Europe, as well as North America; in particular, southern British Columbia. The red slug originated in Europe.

* Not listed in IUCN red list - not evaluated (NE) [2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. . Cited 2 March 2007.]
* Austria [ [http://ipp.boku.ac.at/private/wf/Check_List_of_Austrian_Mollusca.html Gastropoda Mollusca Bivalvia Austria Checklist illustraded snail pictures ] ]
* The Czech Republic - least concern (LC) [Juřičková L., Horsák M. & Beran L., 2001: Check-list of the molluscs (Mollusca) of the Czech Republic. Acta Soc. Zool. Bohem., 65: 25-40.]
* Germany [ [http://www.mollbase.de/list/deunam.htm Deutsche Namen für einheimische Schnecken und Muscheln ] ]
* Slovakia
* Poland
* ...

ee also

* The red slug is said by some to be the same species as the black slug, "Arion ater".
* The spanish slug, "Arion lusitanicus", can interbreed with the black slug and perhaps the red slug.Fact|date=April 2007

References

* [http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=77078 ITIS Standard Report Page: "Arion Rufus"]
* [http://www.livinglandscapes.bc.ca/cbasin/molluscs/arionidae.html Living Landscapes]
* "Rosetta, Robin; 2004." [http://oregonstate.edu/Dept/nurspest/Europeanredslug.htm Oregon State University]
* "Forsyth, Robert; 2004." [http://www3.telus.net/rforsyth/exotics/ariruf.htm Land Snails of British Columbia]

External links

* [http://www.eeob.iastate.edu/faculty/DrewesC/htdocs/Rufus-4s.jpgPhotographs of red "Arion rufus"] . Retrieved July 1, 2005.
* [http://www.invasive.org/browse/subject.cfm?sub=9154 Photographs of brown "Arion rufus"] . Retrieved July 1, 2005.
* [http://www.macrophotographie.org/insectes/images/Mollusques/M001.html Photograph of brown "Arion rufus"] . Retrieved July 1, 2005.
* [http://www.les-snats.com/fiches/arion_rufus_(cf).html Various photographs of "Arion rufus"] . Retrieved July 1, 2005.