# Has there been a quiet slug apocalypse? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 24, 2020, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-been-a-quiet-slug-apocalypse/918927 "2020-08-24T22:27:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-been-a-quiet-slug-apocalypse/918927/1 "2020-08-24T22:27:40Z")
Two or three years ago someone IRL mentioned to me that it was weird that she hadn’t seen slugs in a long time. (She meant the [leopard slug](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limax_maximus).) I realized that I hadn’t, either. And in the years since then, I haven’t seen one once. And it isn’t that I haven’t been paying attention–I do a _lot_ of yard nature photography, especially after rain. If they had been out in the past normal frequency, I would have encountered them multiple times over the past few years. But since I started paying increased attention, I haven’t seen a slug bigger than maybe a quarter of an inch. Anyone else notice any absence like this? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-been-a-quiet-slug-apocalypse/918927/2 "2020-08-24T22:36:17Z")
Come to Arkansas. Along with me there are plenty of slugs. Ick! ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-been-a-quiet-slug-apocalypse/918927/3 "2020-08-24T22:44:04Z")
We have more than usual in our yard this year. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-been-a-quiet-slug-apocalypse/918927/4 "2020-08-24T22:47:46Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Come to Arkansas. Along with me there are plenty of slugs. Did you just call yourself a slug? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-been-a-quiet-slug-apocalypse/918927/5 "2020-08-24T22:48:46Z")
Kinda, sorta. But I didn’t mean to. 🙃 ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-been-a-quiet-slug-apocalypse/918927/6 "2020-08-24T22:57:13Z")
Arkie here. We have plenty. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-been-a-quiet-slug-apocalypse/918927/7 "2020-08-24T23:00:50Z")
Maybe leopard slugs, which are native to Europe. CA has no shortage of banana slugs that I’ve noticed. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-been-a-quiet-slug-apocalypse/918927/8 "2020-08-24T23:05:32Z")
Ooh, a fellow inmate. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-been-a-quiet-slug-apocalypse/918927/9 "2020-08-24T23:06:51Z")
I think I just found my new band name. ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-been-a-quiet-slug-apocalypse/918927/10 "2020-08-24T23:29:39Z")
Leopard slugs, or fellow inmate? ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-been-a-quiet-slug-apocalypse/918927/11 "2020-08-24T23:36:15Z")
The last time I saw a slug was yesterday. It was about 1 cm long and crawling on the radio. Somehow they have found a way to get inside, and it is unpleasant to step on them when I am barefoot. Musical interlude: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/aqS72pTvN04/hqdefault.jpg "Doug & the Slugs - Who Knows How to Make Love Stay") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqS72pTvN04) ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-been-a-quiet-slug-apocalypse/918927/12 "2020-08-24T23:36:39Z")
Those are good, true, but I was thinking of Quiet Slug Apocalypse. ---
**Author:** ![Hatchie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hatchie/32/3983_2.png) [@Hatchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hatchie)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-been-a-quiet-slug-apocalypse/918927/13 "2020-08-24T23:48:25Z")
Since the Straight Dope column ended, Slug has gone into hiding - wouldn’t you? ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-been-a-quiet-slug-apocalypse/918927/14 "2020-08-24T23:50:05Z")
Oh, yes, even better. ---
**Author:** ![Arkcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2020, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-been-a-quiet-slug-apocalypse/918927/15 "2020-08-25T01:22:52Z")
I haven’t seen slugs in years. Not since I gradually began growing the various snails I’ve been finding in the yard over the years. So that’s once possible cause, out competed. I had the idea of growing the snails bigger, and eating them, but once they grow to a certain size, all I find are their hollowed out shells – either birds, or mammals. So that’s where snail and possibly slugs may go. Also, with more humid nights, there’s more fireflies, and their females also feed on snails, and possibly slugs. So, are you seeing more snails, birds, mammals and fireflies? That’s could be where the slugs have gone. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2020, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-been-a-quiet-slug-apocalypse/918927/16 "2020-08-25T01:51:33Z")
Plenty of fireflies and birds. The only snails around here are a quarter inch or less across. Nothing seems out of the ordinary, though. I wonder if fire ants eat slugs? ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2020, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-been-a-quiet-slug-apocalypse/918927/17 "2020-08-25T09:16:30Z")
Millions of slugs and snails here in my garden if you want them. We’ve had a wet summer, they love it. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2020, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-been-a-quiet-slug-apocalypse/918927/18 "2020-08-25T11:26:10Z")
When we vacation in St Martin we often hike to the highest spot on the island, which is within a rainforest ecosystem. Twice our hike coincided with snail breeding season, making the hike difficult as nearly every step involves crunching big snails. Oddly, the trail we hike on is the only place we’ve ever seen a snail on the island, and even then, only when they are breeding. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2020, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-been-a-quiet-slug-apocalypse/918927/19 "2020-08-28T08:45:18Z")
As usually happens with these things 3 days after posting that I haven’t seen a leopard slug in years, I saw one yesterday. Not very large, but definitely a leopard slug. I found it while photographing a [weird two-toned mushroom](https://imgur.com/a/ne4o3Dw) that is apparently from the planet Cheron. (Later that night, a pair of the local small snails used the mushroom [as a location to meet and make even smaller snails](https://youtu.be/bymTPImBE2E).) ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2020, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-been-a-quiet-slug-apocalypse/918927/20 "2020-08-29T04:29:24Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > I found it while photographing a [weird two-toned mushroom](https://imgur.com/a/ne4o3Dw) that is apparently from the planet Cheron. You have (probably) taken a picture of an agonizing infection 🙂. I think you have a shot of bolete being parasitized by its fungal arch-nemesis [Hypomyces chrysospermus](https://www.mushroomexpert.com/hypomyces_chrysospermus.html), which is the white bit starting to engulf the cap. Fungi eating fungi, a tale as old as the world. My favorite is the Russula eater [Asterophora parasitica](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asterophora_parasitica). Aside from the great name the spores on their caps are really neat under a microscope. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-been-a-quiet-slug-apocalypse/918927.md?page=2)