Slugs and Astronomy

[Elp]

4 hours ago, Zermelo said:

A candidate for adding to the astro forecast apps?

They're bad enough at trying to report the prediction of weather, adding such an advanced feature I fear would make them more, sluggish.

[Hertford Stargazer]

Great replies, glad I'm not alone.

I can't kill anything, not even slugs. I also use to just move them with my foot but there's just too many now. We do have a few hedgehogs and I have witnessed one crunching up a snail one night but they make no impact on the slugs.

I'm a little bit screamish as regards to treading on things. Our neighbour often has massive wheelie bin maggot infestations (not a very hygienic family) One night I went outside without a tourch and it was like walking on bubble wrap, freaked me out somewhat. I always check around with a tourch when going outside now.

Anyway, I'm hoping this warm weather will reduce the slug count🤞

[VNA]

On 30/07/2024 at 12:27, Elp said:

And to think in warmer climates they may have to deal with spiders and scorpions which could kill you...

Hello, how about banana slugs?  Or tarantula?

Although it is mostly skunks, raccoons etc. from my garden where I observe!

[Vroobel]

7 hours ago, VNA said:

Hello, how about banana slugs?  Or tarantula?

Although it is mostly skunks, raccoons etc. from my garden where I observe!

 

🤩

Wow, that's the proper tarantula, not related to birdeaters commonly called tarantulas. 

Where is the picture taken? 

[Elp]

I know in Aus it's common practice to check your local surroundings before you continue for redback spiders, dont know how you'd do it when it's dark...

[Vroobel]

The Black Widow isn't the most dangerous spider there. The first place on the list is reserved for the Atrax, considered as the most deadly venomous spider in the world. But even the one doesn't attack as the first, it's rather highly defensive. Stepping on it is of course taken as the attack... 

 

Edited August 1 by Vroobel

[Gonariu]

Here in Sardinia we eat snails, made with sauce (and I don't know what other ingredients). We drink beer ourselves, it's nice to have it cold in the summer.

[Gonariu]

3 minutes ago, Vroobel said:

The Black Widow isn't the most dangerous spider there. The first place on the list is reserved for the Atrax, considered as the most deadly venomous spider in the world. But even the one doesn't attack as the first, it's rather highly defensive. Stepping on it is of course taken as the attack... 

 

In Sardinia the only poisonous animal is a small spider, a relative of the Black Widow, called in Sardinian "àrza" or "àrgia" (depending on the dialect). Its poison is not deadly but if someone is stung by it they feel very ill, years ago they had to bring the antidote from the continent (that's what we call the Italian peninsula and the area of the Alps/Po Valley) for a person who had been stung.

[Mr Spock]

We have snails here too. Big ones. They are very slow though.

I took the shell off one of them to see if it would go faster. If anything it was more sluggish...

[Vroobel]

1 hour ago, Mr Spock said:

We have snails here too. Big ones. They are very slow though.

I took the shell off one of them to see if it would go faster. If anything it was more sluggish...

It became homeless... 🙄

[Leo S]

On 30/07/2024 at 20:32, Paul M said:

We'll be safe in NW England, where we are having The Year With No Summer...

Need a vivarium for scorpions here!

I wouldn't be too sure...

https://www.royensoc.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Sam-Finnie-Antenna-Essay.pdf

https://www.jason-steel.co.uk/uk-scorpions.php

I believe they can also be found in the vicinity of Kew Bridge if you are ever in London.

[VNA]

On 01/08/2024 at 02:15, Vroobel said:

 

🤩

Wow, that's the proper tarantula, not related to birdeaters commonly called tarantulas. Where is the picture taken? 

Hello, so there is a 1200 meters mountain a few miles away, and it is this time late summer these cute creatures come out after 8-9 years looking for to mate. You will see them on the road, unfortunately too many get squished even though you can see them as you drive and there are warning signs.

The banana slugs are further away, but I have taken my scope where these yellow slugs are every where.

I have add that our tarantulas will give you a bee sting, but you have to really bother them.
I would use my bicycle gloves to move them out of danger!

Edited August 6 by VNA

[Aramcheck]

There was a paper titled 'Slugs (Arionidae) benefit from nocturnal artificial illumination'  published in the Journal of Experimental Zoology. Part A, Ecological and Integrative Physiology. (2018)

It seems they are one of the few creatures which benefit from light at night. Sadly the paper doesn't seem to have got through to many gardeners...

I can only find the abstract free online: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29761669/

Cheers
Ivor