Slugs have an important role in the ecosystem and are key composters which help to break down decomposing vegetation. However they are notorious for being able to chomp through garden plants and vegetables in a very short period of time.
They do this using their teeth! They need so many teeth because instead of chewing their food, they have a ribbon-like flexible band of microscopic teeth called a radula.
This acts like a circular saw — cutting through vegetation and eating it as they go. When their teeth wear out new rows of teeth move forward and replace them. Slugs are hermaphrodites and they have both male and female reproductive systems. They are able to reproduce themselves without the need of a partner. In fact, one slug can lay up to eggs in a year which can remain in the soil for years and hatch when the conditions are right.
Slugs produce slime which enables them to slide along the ground. This clever method was inspired by the Snail's Tales blog.
A Close Look at a Slug's Rasping Radula The only way to truly appreciate the microscopic teeth of the radula is to look at them under a microscope. The radula was imaged using the Museum's scanning electron microscope SEM , which creates an extremely detailed and highly magnified picture of the specimen examined. The fascinating feeding anatomy of snails and slugs is also helpful in determining their species identity, if and when that is in question.
Or you can donate to the Urban Nature Research Center. A Microscopic Look at Snail Jaws Have you ever wondered what the inside of a snail's mouth looks like? By: Jann Vendetti, Ph. Share: Share page on facebook Tweet this page. Brazilian Snail eating lettuce. Underside of Cornu aspersum showing the single reddish-brown jaw of the mouth. Close up of the open mouth of Cornu aspersum showing the jaw and the pale-colored ribbon of teeth called the radula.
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