Identifying terrestrial gastropods

Slug characters

Several morphological characters can be used to identify slugs. A few of these include:

Mantle Mantle:
A fleshy, membranous covering of the anterior portion of the body of a mollusc. It secretes the materials that form the shell.
characters

• body covered by mantleMantle:
  A fleshy, membranous covering of the anterior portion of the body of a mollusc. It secretes the materials that form the shell.
  (partly or wholly)
• location of breathing poreBreathing pore:
  This is the breathing hole on the right side of the mantle of molluscs. This allows air to pass through to the mantle for gas exchange. (See also pneumostome).
  on mantleMantle:
  A fleshy, membranous covering of the anterior portion of the body of a mollusc. It secretes the materials that form the shell.
  (or on the body of the animal)
• mantle Mantle:
  A fleshy, membranous covering of the anterior portion of the body of a mollusc. It secretes the materials that form the shell.
  groove

Body characters

• length (preserved specimens may shrink to approximately 70-80 % the length of living specimens)
• body color
• body markings (spots, blotches, stripes, bands)
• mucus pore
• length of the slugSlug:
  A snail that either does not possess a shell or has one that is very reduced (no definite coiling) or internal.
  (fully extended at maturity)
• sole color
• tail constriction at the point of amputation (this is a faint grooveGroove:
  An elongate and fairly uniform depression or indentation in the shell or soft parts of a mollusc.
  that can be observed on the dorsal surface of the tail; behind the mantleMantle:
  A fleshy, membranous covering of the anterior portion of the body of a mollusc. It secretes the materials that form the shell.
  . A narrow dark-colored bandBand:
  In slugs: Any transverse line (runs from side to side, or vertically e.g., on the foot fringe). In snails: A section of a shell that is differentiated by color or texture from either side of it.
  on the sole of the animal can also represent the point of amputation.) It should be noted that the point of amputation might not always be visible in species that typically possess one.

Mucus color

• white
• yellow
• orange
• clear

Keel Keel:
Also known as the carina. This is a longitudinal ridge that runs dorsally along the apex of the tail of the animal.
characters

• presence or absence of the keel
• length of the keel