Escaping Banana Slugs

...can break the ice at parties!

The postman knocked on my front door today and handed over a padded envelope. I peered at it, wondering what I’d ordered. As a former banker, I’m good at making a note of what I order and when I expect it to arrive.  But I had no record or memory of anything outstanding.

There was a lovely note inside the envelope from my son’s Godmother. “Some mascots,” she wrote, “To inspire your blogs.”

What a kind and generous woman! Thank you, Pat! But her towering intellect and amazing knowledge of all types of pasta conceals a wicked sense of humour.

For lurking beneath the beautiful note was a blister pack of utterly hideous slugs. Ok, they are made of some kind of plastic, but I know from my usual hunting technique that they feel all too realistic. They are life-sized and boast exactly the right markings.

The North American Banana Slug, Ariolimax, comes in five or six varieties. These are Ariolimax Columbianus. Usually found in the Pacific North West, they grow up to 260mm and are the second largest terrestrial slug in the world.

These two are obviously youngsters at a mere 75mm, but they seem lively enough, now they’ve been freed from their plastic prison. Here they are speeding around my computer screen…

They are truly awful – horrible – disgusting …and I love them! Now I can begin to revolt friends and neighbours who come for dinner.

Well – they will break the ice at parties, at any rate.