# Milky Slug (*deroceras reticulatum*) The Milky Slug is a soft, slimy creature that glides across the ground, leaving a shiny trail behind! This little slug loves to munch on leaves and other plants in the garden. - **Category:** [Invertebrate](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/invertebrate) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger - **Snaps:** 2 - **Habitat:** Gardens, forests, and grassy areas. - **Also known as:** Common Slug, Garden Slug, Reticulated Slug ![Milky Slug](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Deroceras_reticulatum.JPG&width=800) Photo: Bruce Marlin, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Deroceras_reticulatum.JPG) ## Appearance The Milky Slug is typically a pale grey or brown slug with a distinctive, often net-like pattern on its back. It has a slightly translucent appearance, making it look 'milky,' and two pairs of retractable tentacles on its head. Its soft body lacks a shell, distinguishing it from snails. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Mollusca - **Class:** Gastropoda - **Order:** Stylommatophora - **Family:** Agriolimacidae - **Genus:** Deroceras ## Interesting facts - A Milky Slug's brain is no bigger than a pinhead, yet it navigates complex environments! - Milky Slugs are hermaphrodites, meaning each slug has both male and female reproductive organs! - These slugs can survive short periods underwater by closing their breathing hole! - They breathe through a small hole on their right side called a pneumostome, which opens and closes! ## Special abilities - **Slime Shield:** Milky Slug has a sticky, defensive slime that makes it hard for predators to grasp and protects its soft body from drying out. - **Tentacle Sensors:** Milky Slug has two pairs of retractable tentacles: one pair detects light, and the other helps it smell and feel its way around. - **Regenerative Recovery:** Milky Slug can regrow lost tentacles or damaged parts, helping it recover from minor injuries or predator attacks. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 2-5 cm - **Weight:** 0.5-3 g - **Lifespan:** 0.5-2 years ## Diet & Feeding Milky Slugs are omnivores, munching on a variety of plants, fungi, and decaying matter. - **Primary Foods:** lettuce, cabbage, mushrooms, dead leaves, carrots, small decaying invertebrates - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** Blackbird (*Turdus merula*) — Blackbirds frequently forage for slugs in gardens and fields. - **Eaten by:** [European Hedgehog](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-hedgehog) (*Erinaceus europaeus*) — Hedgehogs are natural predators, consuming many slugs and snails. - **Eaten by:** [Ground Beetle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/ground-beetle) (*Carabus nemoralis*) — Many species of ground beetles prey on slugs and their eggs. - **Eats:** [Lettuce](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lettuce) (*Lactuca sativa*) — The Milky Slug often feeds on tender plant leaves, including lettuce. ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. - [Nocturnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nocturnal): Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day. ## Collections - [Invertebrates](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/invertebrates) ## Safety **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Milky Slug? Compare body symmetry, shells, segments, legs, tentacles and how the animal moves. Invertebrates span many unrelated groups, so start with body structure. Invertebrate Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Milky Slug? 2-5 cm ### How much does Milky Slug weigh? 0.5-3 g ### How long does Milky Slug live? 0.5-2 years ### What does Milky Slug eat? Milky Slugs are omnivores, munching on a variety of plants, fungi, and decaying matter. ### Where is Milky Slug usually found? Gardens, forests, and grassy areas. ### How does Milky Slug hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Chenango Canal](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chenango-canal) — New York, US · Historic Site - [Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/drumlin-farm-wildlife-sanctuary) — Massachusetts, US · Nature Reserve - [Crotona Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/crotona-park) — New York, US · Park [View all places to see Milky Slug](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/milky-slug) ## More Invertebrate - [Coral](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coral) - [Crab Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/crab-spider) (*Mecaphesa asperata*) - [Garden Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-spider) (*Araneus diadematus*) - [Brown Recluse Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-recluse-spider) (*Loxosceles reclusa*) --- Source: [Milky Slug: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/milky-slug)