Image #273 – The Slug

Too often in our violent society the term “slug” conjures images of spent bullets and CSI discoveries. But there is an entire universe of living slugs that prove the bane of some gardeners and a treat for some photographers. This fellow was enjoying a meal in the cold, dark woods of California’s North Coast.  According to Wikipedia, “Slug is a common name for an apparently shell-less terrestrial gastropod mollusc.”   There are many different kinds but all have the distinctive head with four antennae-like protrusions. The top set are the slug’s “eyes” while the bottom set serve as olfactory tools. All four can be retracted and regrown. ❧