Arion rufus
Not many people like Slugs! Ugly, and slimy, and resembling doggy doo! But like all organisms, they have their role in the ecosystem, and somebody has to do the dirty work; the decomposition. Slugs are omnivores, consuming a large variety of organisms. Their exceptional suite of digestive enzymes is testament to this: not just amylase and invert awe, to digest starch and sugar respectively, but also proteases (protein), chitinases (the material of insect exoskeletons), and xylemases and ligninases to digest the woody stems of plants.
The other interesting thing about slugs that everybody knows is that they are hermaphrodite. But did you know how intricate and beautiful the reproductive organs of a slug or snail are? Best thing I ever dissected at university, and so I think we must introduce this to Dissection Club. Watch this space...
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