Slugs, like snails, are land-based gastropods – one of the few groups of animals to become successful in all three major habitats: the ocean, fresh waters and land. While there are many similarities between slugs and snails, there are also some significant differences – the main one being that snails have a shell they can retract into while slugs do not.

While snails hibernate over winter, slugs don’t, and you’ll find them anywhere there’s a temperature in excess of 5°C. Slugs also love dampness, so the best time to find them is after heavy rainfall. The vast majority, however, live underground, nibbling on roots and seeds and laying eggs – slugs lay up to 100 eggs multiple times every year.

A vital part of any healthy ecosystem, slugs live at fairly high densities. In a cubic metre of a garden where harmful chemicals aren’t used, there could be as many as 200 slugs! While certain breeds can consume countless varieties of plants, most eat decomposing vegetation – making them incredibly important.

These amazing creatures can consume around 40 times their weight in a day and can stretch to 20 times their length to fit through narrow gaps!

What’s more, slugs have truly impressive homing instincts and leave a unique scent trail so they can find their way back to where they came from.