Tiger slugs are slugs, but they are very useful. You can also specifically settle the beneficial insects in the garden.
Disgusting, slippery, annoying - slugs drive many hobby gardeners to despair. The nasty reptiles leave their slimy tracks in the orchard and ornamental garden and have numerous plants on their conscience. With the tiger slug (Limax maximus), both a conspecific and an opponent of the nasty lettuce predators will be presented below. The tiger slug is not only visually different from the voracious night slugs, but can even contribute to a snail-free garden.
Short cover letter:
| Type: | Tiger Slug |
| Family: | Nudibranchs |
| Habitat: | Gardens, Parks |
| Food: | Nudibranchs, snail eggs, fungi, dead plant parts |
| Curious: | Genetic organ covers one third of the total body length (four centimetres) |
Recognizing Tiger Slugs
The tiger slug cannot be overlooked and reaches a total length of up to 20 centimetres. Another distinctive feature is the grain, reminiscent of a big cat. An animal print of dark, elongated spots stands out against a yellowish, brownish or gray background. Hence the name tiger slug.
The way of life of the tiger slug
The eggs are laid in early and late summer of the following year. Up to 200 eggs are found in irregular clutches. The eggs are just over three millimeters in size and clear in texture.
The young hatch after three to six weeks. This is so strenuous that many young animals do not survive. Sexual maturity sets in again after one to one and a half years. A tiger slug lives about two to three years.
Reproduction of the Tiger Slug
The mating prelude of the hermaphrodite tiger slugs is unparalleled in the animal kingdom. Snails ready to mate can be found in an elevated positiontogether and begin spinning head to tail in circles. This can last for several hours.
A large lump of slimy builds up between the two animals over time. The snails entwine each other, sway their heads and twist into each other. A thread of slime is secreted at the rear end of the still devoured bodies. The tiger slugs rappel down this thread of slime to a depth of 40 centimetres. After fertilization, the animals go their separate ways. While one snail falls to the ground, the other crawls back up the slime thread.
In the following video you can see two tiger slugs mating:
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The tiger slug as a useful creature in the garden
As a warmth-loving animal, the tiger slug was originally only widespread in southern Europe. As a result of climate change, snails are now native to all of Central Europe. Tiger slugs can be found in sparse forests, parks, gardens or in damp basements.
Anyone who encounters tiger slugs in their garden can count themselves lucky and have found an effective helper against impending snail plagues. The snail hunter can also overwhelm specimens that are almost their own size.
Tip: Tiger Slugs require a high protein diet to become sexually mature.
Introduce tiger slugs in the garden
If the tiger slug feels comfortable in the home garden, it will stay true to its location and form small colonies over time. The hobby gardener can make his garden more snail-friendly and thus promote the colonization of the tiger slug.
Tiger Slugs are nocturnal and are rarely seen during the day. Therefore, the animals need an appropriate retreat. In this way, bricks and old boards can be loosely stacked in damp and rather shady places in the garden. The shelter is covered with brushwood or leftover leaves.
Tip: Tiger Slugs operate within a five to ten meter radius of their lair.
Tiger slug instead of slug pellets
The first thing to do is to convince tiger slugs of the attractiveness of your own garden. This works best if sufficient protein-rich food is available. If there is currently a lack of slugs, finely chopped mushrooms cansprinkled around the dwelling.
If slugs reproduce in your own garden, over time a natural balance between beneficial slugs and voracious slugs will be established. This means for the hobby gardener: slug pellets are taboo! If you keep spreading slug pellets, you will not only get rid of slugs, but also destroy useful tiger slugs.
Buy a tiger slug - what should you pay attention to?
Nudibranchs frolic in your garden, but unfortunately not a single tiger slug? This may change soon, as tiger slugs can be purchased online. Anyone who orders tiger slugs should note that they are living animals.
Therefore, the shipment should be handled under certain conditions:
- short shipping time (maximum two working days)
- no delivery in high summer
- no shipping over the weekend
Breeding tiger slugs - this is how the beneficial insects can be reproduced
Tiger Slugs can be propagated at room temperature. It is important to ensure that the humidity is high. This should be around 90 percent. A large plastic box can be used as housing.
Tip: According to the described mating behavior, the housing should have a minimum height of 50 centimetres.
What fill material for the shelter?
- Foliage of beeches
- Leaves of oak trees
- Leaves of chestnuts
- Moss
The following video is not about tiger slugs. but it shows very well how a snail shelter should be equipped:
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What food for the tiger slug?
LeavesAlgae
Mosses
PotatoesCarrots
Tomatoes
Kohlrabi
Cucumbers
Cleaning of the shelter should be done in the morning. Then the tree bark can be moved together with the sleeping snails. The snails themselves should not be touched. They have a layer of mucus that repels germs and bacteria.
Releasing tiger slugs in the garden
Anyone who has bought or bred tiger slugs can put them in a shady and moist place in the garden. The hobby gardener shouldn't be surprised if the tiger slugs soon disappeared.
Tip: Autumn is idealTime to introduce tiger slugs to the garden.
The animals retreat and are hardly noticed during the day anyway. Although hundreds of eggs are laid, not every egg survives. Young snails often fall victim to heavy rain or predators.
Tip: It will take several years for a population of tiger slugs to develop.
It will take some patience. Nudibranchs should no longer be fought with chemical agents, as already mentioned, this also harms the tiger slug.
Tips for a tiger slug-friendly garden design
Tiger slugs find ideal habitats in a naturally landscaped garden.
Popular retreats are:
WoodpileCompost Heap
Roof TilesPile of Leaves
Shrubs
Deadwood
Because tiger slugs have a relatively small radius of action, there should be several natural retreats in larger gardens.
So that the animals feel comfortable in the garden, a varied menu should be provided:
- Mushrooms
- rotten plants
- feces
- Carrion
- Nudibranchs
- Nudibranch Clutch
Tiger Slug in Winter
Since the life expectancy is several years, tiger slugs have to survive a few winters. To do this, the animals seek sheltered niches that the frost cannot reach.
As the temperature drops, the snails' metabolism slows down. Breathing and heartbeat slow down. Not only the snails themselves, but also their eggs can hibernate.