[neilep (OP)]

Dear Slimeologists,


Well, you got snail slime,


1519411.jpg (30.56 kB . 387x340 - viewed 47550 times)

and you got slug slime,


IMG_3893.JPG (21.8 kB . 256x187 - viewed 28389 times)

They're the main two eh ?



so...are there any differences between the two ?......and how do the slug/snails make slime in the first place ?..

..and what is it for anyway ?...is it purely for locomotion or is it that they can find their way home again ?

[Karen W.]

I would think it is for locomotion like you said.. something cool we did at the preschool cause kids love to look at slugs etc. they would put them in a bug catcher plastic clear box and we could watch them from underneath as their body moved in a wave like motion underneath to propel them forward... We could never see where the slime came from but we did notice that we NEVER EVER seen one go backwards.. only forwards... and often wondered that perhaps the slime must be produced from the mouth area so it could spread the length of the slug to lube their trail so to speak, so if they only produced the slime from that way we figured they must surely never travel backwards.. we know they turned around but to just move backwards we never seen. We thought that the slime was like a aid in their movement cause they never had texture to move only motion.. and suction... We were not experts and always have been curious about how that slime worked and related to all of those things!

[JimBob]

Actually, Neil, The snails you get in the restaurant - those heavenly little creatures in butter-garlic-wine sauce (often Helix aspersa) - are of the same phylogenietic origin; they are both of the order Pulmonata - gastropods that have a fold in their mantle that allows them to breath oxygen. They move on mucus secreted by cells on the bottom of their foot (podia) - sort of foot saliva. 

One fall there was a very bored and not too bright scientist in Canada who didn't have anything to do. Knowing that winter was coming he was in his garden and, because he didn't want to stay at home, breath dry air and read all winter, decided to do a research project. But he was crying as he sat there in his garden. He had no ideas. He had cried himself into catatonia when he noted in his fog that something was crawling on one of his empty beer bottles. It was a slug. He almost crushed it but suddenly the clouds opened and light struck him with divine inspiration. No one really knew how this thing moved! Why not write a proposal, get some money for his Swiss bank account and watch snails crawl all winter? He could even film it - in technicolor! The results, in scientific talk, are found at:

http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/reprint/91/1/195.pdf

Does this make you happy, Neil? Or does it make you hungry for escargot, a little duck liver paté, and perhaps a simple Boeuf Bourguignon? With crusty bread and fresh churned butter, of course. A very nice touch for a chilled Autumn day.

[neilep (OP)]

I would think it is for locomotion like you said.. something cool we did at the preschool cause kids love to look at slugs etc. they would put them in a bug catcher plastic clear box and we could watch them from underneath as their body moved in a wave like motion underneath to propel them forward... We could never see where the slime came from but we did notice that we NEVER EVER seen one go backwards.. only forwards... and often wondered that perhaps the slime must be produced from the mouth area so it could spread the length of the slug to lube their trail so to speak, so if they only produced the slime from that way we figured they must surely never travel backwards.. we know they turned around but to just move backwards we never seen. We thought that the slime was like a aid in their movement cause they never had texture to move only motion.. and suction... We were not experts and always have been curious about how that slime worked and related to all of those things!

THANK EWE for this karen.

Sounds like a fab thing to do with the kids !.....I wonder if i can get some girlies to climb into a perspex box naked so that I investigate and study (for scientific purposes of course)..how they move too ?


Still..I have to say, I too have never seen a snail or slug reversing either..........well....not unless it's been attached to a firework rocket backwards that is !!**





**note: This site does not condone the reversing of snails and slugs via firework rockets

[neilep (OP)]

Actually, Neil, The snails you get in the restaurant - those heavenly little creatures in butter-garlic-wine sauce (often Helix aspersa) - are of the same phylogenietic origin; they are both of the order Pulmonata - gastropods that have a fold in their mantle that allows them to breath oxygen. They move on mucus secreted by cells on the bottom of their foot (podia) - sort of foot saliva. 

One fall there was a very bored and not too bright scientist in Canada who didn't have anything to do. Knowing that winter was coming he was in his garden and, because he didn't want to stay at home, breath dry air and read all winter, decided to do a research project. But he was crying as he sat there in his garden. He had no ideas. He had cried himself into catatonia when he noted in his fog that something was crawling on one of his empty beer bottles. It was a slug. He almost crushed it but suddenly the clouds opened and light struck him with divine inspiration. No one really knew how this thing moved! Why not write a proposal, get some money for his Swiss bank account and watch snails crawl all winter? He could even film it - in technicolor! The results, in scientific talk, are found at:

http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/reprint/91/1/195.pdf

Does this make you happy, Neil? Or does it make you hungry for escargot, a little duck liver paté, and perhaps a simple Boeuf Bourguignon? With crusty bread and fresh churned butter, of course. A very nice touch for a chilled Autumn day.

THANK EWE very much Mr Jimmy Boy.

I have downloaded the PDF file and rest assured I will read the entire text** from start to finish.

I have to say...I have tried esgargot and just can't get round the gag factor....delicious though they may be.....next time, I will try it blindfolded. The Boef Bourguignon is right up my alley though !!..hmmmmm


...and Mr JB....it DOES make me happy !! []










**...of the first line !!

[Karen W.]

I am sure you would no trouble gathering volunteers! Don't forget to post your results! LOL!

I haven't finished reading Jimbobs link.. maybe they don't go backwards!

YES I think Rocketting them into reverse may be a bit much! LOL!

[Alandriel]

One fall there was a very bored and not too bright scientist in Canada who didn't have anything to do. Knowing that winter was coming he was in his garden and, because he didn't want to stay at home, breath dry air and read all winter, decided to do a research project. But he was crying as he sat there in his garden. He had no ideas. He had cried himself into catatonia when he noted in his fog that something was crawling on one of his empty beer bottles. It was a slug. He almost crushed it but suddenly the clouds opened and light struck him with divine inspiration.

This is sooooooooo totally eeerie.....

Did you know that's pretty much the same story (well, kind of....you know) how Henry Matisse came to make his world famous collage 'the snail' ?



There must be something about snails.
Inspired works of many words, inspired works of many torn  pieces of paper, au beurre cafe de Paris (the French!!)

and now Neil !  []

[Monox D. I-Fly]

something cool we did at the preschool cause kids love to look at slugs etc.

Preschool kids in your place love to look at slugs? Here they will be scared of them since people in my country can't even distinguish slugs and leeches!

[guest45734]

There is no differences between snail and slug slime, except maybe indicating what they have been eating. You can use there for medicine

http://www.worldwidewounds.com/2013/July/Thomas/slug-steve-thomas.html