I met this leopard slug during an evening walk. It was dark, but I couldn’t not notice that large slug. Leopard slugs are active at night. It eats decaying plant matter. They also eat other slugs and carrion.
It spread to Finland in the late 1800s and is found in old gardens, being nonetheless very rare. A single slug can live up to three years. It can grow to over 20 centimeters long. I read that someone at first thought it was a snake when they saw one on their terrace.
Its mantle is always mottled, though it can sometimes appear almost entirely dark. I moved this one to my garden to keep it safe.
You are reading the Wildest Treasures section — a quiet corner of the Grow Wild in Forest Soil.
