Evergreen Natural History Database

Common name(s): Brown garden slug

Size:
Up to about 6 inches

Range:
They range in color from black to orange, and are found in Europe and the Pacific Northwest.

Habitat:
Arion ater prefers cool, moist land, especially well watered gardens.

Diet:
They eat lettuce and strawberries, but they also eat fungi, decaying leaf, feces, and some insects.

Misidentification:
Arion ater ranges in colors, the brownish-orange morphs are common in the PNW, whereas the black morphs tend to stay in Europe. In the PNW there are not any closely colored slugs that can be mistaken for Arion aters' brown body and bright orange marking.

Life History:
The Arion ater, like all slugs likely evolved from primitive land snails. Their shells can still be accounted for, but they lie under the back (mantle), near the head of the slug.

Predators:
Arion ater could become dinner to frogs, mice, moles, shrews, toads, and some birds.

Last updated Tuesday, September 05, 2006, by Lisa Ferrier