I was walking home with Freya this evening after her very rainy football practice, when we came upon a path scattered with slugs. It got me thinking just how rubbish slugs are. I needed proof, of course, so I did some quick research.

Snails are pretty poor creatures, with the bonus of having shells to protect them. Scientists who have studied one particular sea snail have found out that its shell is made up of three different layers, each layer offering different benefits and forms of protection. I still believe that, overall, snails suck. Slugs, as we know, don’t even have this to aid them against predators; however, their slime does not taste at all nice.

Despite this, they are apparently preyed upon by virtually every major vertebrate group, which makes me wonder just how effective a defence vile tasting slime is. Should they get caught, they are able to lose their tails at will. They will also chew off their own penises (or their partner’s) when they get stuck during mating. This, apparently, is not an uncommon occurrence.

Self mutilation is definitely an attribute of suckiness. Slugs ARE rubbish.