Day 237#: Florida Leatherleaf
Today's animal of the day is the Florida Leatherleaf (Leidyula floridana)!
Photo credit: zneedham1 on iNaturalist
This strange species of slug gets its name because it looks like a very leathery leaf and lives in southern Florida, as well as parts of the Caribbean, such as Cuba and Jamaica. Their leathery appearance actually comes from their mantle, the thick, leathery patch of skin that all slugs have to protect their internal organs. Usually, a slug's mantle is relatively small, shaped like a saddle, and is located right behind its head, but the Florida leatherleaf's mantle covers its entire body, a trait they share with all the other members of their family (Veronicellidae).
Photo credit: lightbed on iNaturalist
When I covered the leopard slug back on day 227#, I mentioned how slugs actually evolved from snails, and so many slugs actually have vestigial internal shells. Well, leatherleaf slugs lack these internal shells and rely solely on their thick mantles to protect them. They also have a handful of other traits that make them really weird, even for slugs. Most slugs breathe through a small hole on the right side of their necks called the pneumostome, but the pneumostome of leatherleaf slugs is located toward the back end of their bodies and underneath their mantles. This is also where the anus is located, which might not seem weird since most animals have their butts near the end of their bodies. However, the anuses of most other slugs are actually located on their necks, usually right beside or underneath their pneumostomes. Leatherleaf slugs are also unable to invert their eyestalks, like other slugs can. Though they're still able to contract their eyestalks to protect them from being damaged, they just don't go completely inside their heads.
Photo credit: Joshua Sands
These slugs typically grow between three and four inches long and can come in various shades of tan, gray, and brown. They are herbivores that come out at night to feed on a wide variety of plant species. In some places, they are considered pests because they've been known to feed on crops, especially in areas where they've been accidentally introduced, such as Louisiana, Mexico, and Nicaragua. They've also extended their range up into northern Florida, which is causing some problems for the local ecosystems there. Since they are hermaphrodites and simultaneously have both male and female genitalia, whenever these slugs mate, both individuals become pregnant and will lay eggs. This allows them to reproduce rather quickly. To prevent their eggs from drying out or being eaten by predators, the parents will lay them in moist soil and will poop on them to help cover them up. This also provides the baby slugs with an initial source of food when they hatch, which happens about a week after the eggs are first laid.
Photo credit: squidpastry on iNaturalist
Also, what an interesting coincidence that the randomizer I use to pick the animal of the day selected two species of slugs exactly ten days apart from each other.
