Slugs

I've captured a couple slugs from the garden, hoping that they'll start laying eggs. Just wondering if anyone has ever used these as food before? Is there any reason I shouldn't?

[Andrew Tillson-Willis]

Some slugs taste nasty so it all depends on what type they are. I have used some small black slugs with orange undersides (Arion hortensis) that I collected from my garden and my Ambystoma maculatum love them.

Sorry Leah, I really dont know about the slugs, I have never tried it with my axols before.

From the pictures I've found online, mine look most like the great grey garden slug. I couldn't find anything that said they were poisonous, so I'm hoping they're safe. I guess the axies will let me know if they're tasty or not!

when ive used slugs before the axies tend to get some kind of mushy gunk around their mouths that sticks their for a while. im sure its ok though. i think also depends on size of slug cos if its big then they have to proper suck it for a bit

I hate slugs. Can't bear the horrid things. I think Jennies the only one here who has tried them. Perhaps she can tell us a bit mor about feeding the nasties to the axies and how they fare on them.

The small grey slugs seem to be the most palatable actually. I had a pyxie frog that would eat the huge brown ones (you know, those slugs that seem to be as long as your arm). He'd snort mucus for hours afterwards but he ate them, no problem.

I'm still doing a bit of reading on these before I feed them.

Are axolotls susceptible to lungworm infestation? More than one site has said that slugs are often hosts to larval lungworms. Since these are wild caught slugs and not ones I've bred, are there any other parasites I should worry about?

Also, my boyfriend wants to know if you play Dawn of War, and what army you collect... lol

I feed the three types of slug to the caudates and toads I am fostering and all have been equally accepted. Though the small black ones are snapped up quickest by the caudates in my care, the toads snap up all of them as quick as they can. When they don`t get my finger instead of the intended meal.

John are you "Marneus" ? or a standard "Ultramarine"?

Leah - that's a good question about lung worms - I believe we don't have that problem in Northern Europe, so I can't really help you ;(.

Dawn of War: yes, I play it. As for collecting armies, I don't play Warhammer 40k, I just paint the miniatures. I've taken a liking to Necrons lately, so I'll probably finish painting up a 1000+ point army and sell it on ebay. You can see my Nightbringer (painted last week) here.

Jeff: Are you roleplaying or something? :P

John I paint the figures too, and had "Marneus Calgar" the ultramarines general, among others. I used to play, but the painting is far more entertaining to me than sitting arguing rule interpretation for 4 hours of a 5 hour gaming session. Now I only have a couple of Witch Elves left as I gave the rest to a friends lad who had just taken up the hobby.

If I was to play now I would look at creating my own "Caudate" army.

[Dot Stasny]

Leah --

I don't know if you can get them in Australia, but ZooMeds makes "Can O Slugs" - little cat food cans of pre-killed slugs for the use of feeding. I'm not sure how well the axies would take to them, but if you can get them, maybe it's worth a shot before you feed them the garden slugs.

I haven't seen them, but have heard of them before. There's also "Can o' Snails" I think? I'll ask about them and see. Are they dried or still... gooey?

I hope mine will lay some eggs, then I'll separate them and try feeding the second generation slugs. Hopefully those will be mostly parasite-free. I'll let everyone know how the feeding goes when the time arrives.

Also, you should see the size of the new slug I got!!! It's like, this big :

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It slimed the kitchen window like you've never seen

the pet shop near my house sells snails and slugs as feeders, they get them from a supplier, i dont really like to use them since im kind of squeamish when it comes to snails and slugs, but all my caudates love them. my mudpuppy especially likes bananna slugs