Arion ater
The Large Black Slug, in spite of its common name, has been recorded in colour from jet black, through chestnut and orange to pale grey and creamy white. It is omnivorous, and its diet includes fungi, carrion, earthworms, leaves, stems, dead plant material and dung.
Its a shame that most people see no more than a pest - but if it's chomping its way through your garden I suppose that's fair enough. What is maybe less well known is that is a vital element in the ecosystem of the Caledonian pine forest, clearing up dead plant and faecal material, recycling nutrients, distributing seeds and spores and providing a key food source for badgers, foxes, hedghogs, slow worms and birds.
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