Monday, December 1, 2008

11-08-08 Slug Eggs?

Here, the Future Scientists have discovered what looks like slug eggs underneath a rock. The photographer was wily enough to make the picture quality of the eggs just fuzzy enough so that it is difficult to dispute the true identity of the white spheres.

Slugs actually display a fascinating mating process. They are hermaphrodites, meaning that each individual has both lady and dude parts. You may see them do a writhing dance in mid-air, suspended from a thin bungee cord of mucus if you are lucky enough to see them get their groove on.

If you have a maturity level rated at a 6.5/10 or above, you may click here to view amazing footage of slugs getting it on. This youtube clip is footage from "Life in the Undergrowth", narrated by David Attenborough, who is the MAN for those who don't know. His British accent alone enhances scientific fascination by 13%.

After the slugs have copulated, they will lay thirty or so eggs in a moist area, such as in the leaf litter or under a rock or rotting log, which is consistent with what we see in our picture. The Future Scientists declined searing up a slug egg omelette...although the pinwheel mushrooms might have been just the right size garnish for the miniature breakfast delight.

[NOTE: The author does not truly endorse human consumption of slug eggs or other gastropod excreta.]