Large Red Slug

You know when the temperature reaches 29° everybody needs water… but I was surprised to see this slug going for a swim in our little pond!

It seemed to be eating the algae and was happy to keep its head under the water for a few minutes. There have been loads of slugs this year. The John Innes Centre suggests it’s a Large Red slug, but they aren’t easily distinguishable from the invasive Spanish slug.

These large slugs usually eat decaying plant matter but aren’t averse to a bit of fresh veg, so they aren’t the most welcome plot visitor, though we’ve found smaller slugs to generally be more of a problem.