Start here: Slug or Snail?
Slugs have:
- no visible shell or a small shell that cannot contain their body.
Snails have:
- a coiled shell that can contain most or all of their body.
Slugs
Parts of a slug
Common slug identification key
Without visible shell
1. Pneumostome in anterior half of mantle |
Slugs with anterior pneumostomes
1. No line where tail can be shed. Caudal pore present. Body tubercles uneven, ovoid in shape with no apparent pattern.
2. Line where tail can be shed (can be difficult to see). This can be an impressed line or indicated by a change in the skin texture. No caudal pore. Body tubercles typically diamond shaped in diagonal rows.
Slugs with posterior pneumostomes
1. With bands or spots and...
2. No bands or spots (may have pigmented speckles)...