New Super Slug!

[daveyboi]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18672728

A "super breed" of slugs has arrived from Spain, but are they a threat to the UK's native slugs?

The wet weather has resulted in myriad problems for people around the country and now there is another - it has helped a "super breed" of slug from Spain flourish in the UK.

[daveyboi]

[Palustris]

There is no Scientific veracity in this report at all. The slug in question has been in Britain for a few years to begin with and the chance of cross breeding between species is extremely low. In most cases where cross breeding does occur the off-spring are more often than not sterile (Think Mule or Hinny).

[gazza1960]

as long as Mr Super Duper Slug doesnt resist the weight of my boot coming down on his head I dont givva **** where he comes from..... ;D :D

[Toshofthe Wuffingas]

My son was told on his Biology degree course that slug sex stops north of Preston.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Why can't someone import a vampire slug which only eats its own kind?

[tartonterro]

well if i find any in my garden then will get treated to flying lessons like their uk cousins - even give it a WEEEEEEEEEEEEE when i fling them lol

[Gordonmull]

And there i was hoping it might be the equivalent of the tropical aquatic "assassin snail" that hunts other snails. Nope it's just another f****** slug. Well, I hope they like metaldehyde for dinner.

Still, if has it has a wee cape and wears a pair of red underpants it could be worth some comedy value.

[Obelixx]

No metaldehyde here as we have hedgehogs but I do use the new ferrous based ones near hostas although I found when weeding in the woodland corner yesterday that two dogs hunting hedgehogs do worse damage to hostas than slugs.  Two are now completely flattened!

I can't see the Spanish thing making any difference.  They start small and grow big.  So do some of the natives I find in my garden, so rich is their diet.   Even the black ones taht come out on the grass at night get huge.

[Digeroo]

 I thought that the problem with the superslug was not that it would breed with native ones but that they are cannibals and eat the natives. And also produce considerably more eggs so there will be even more of them.

[Palustris]

Many native slugs are already carnivores and eat.....................other slugs.

[star]

In particular the Leopard slug, is a predator of other slugs. And its spotted......just like a leopard ;D

The Spanish slug has been over here since the 60's in the South, its travelled north over the years  >:(