Red Slug
Arion rufus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Mollusca Class: Gastropoda Order: Stylommatophora Family: Arionidae Genus: Arion

The Red Slug (Arion rufus; also known as the Chocolate Arion or the European red slug) is a large slug, characterised by its usually red or brown body and lack of a keel. At most, a full-grown Red Slug can extend to be approximately 18cm (7 inches) in length; although they usually only grow to be 7–10cm (2.7–3.9 inches) long. Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 134 KB)An unknown arion sp. ... Scientific classification - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria Placozoa Bilateria Acoelomorpha Orthonectida Rhombozoa ?Myxozoa Superphylum Deuterostomia    Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ... Classes Caudofoveata Aplacophora Polyplacophora - Chitons Monoplacophora Bivalvia - Bivalves Scaphopoda - Tusk shells Gastropoda - Snails and Slugs Cephalopoda - Squids, Octopuses, etc. ... Subclass Subclass Eogastropoda     Patellogastropoda Subclass Orthogastropoda   Superorder Cocculiniformia   Superorder Hot Vent Taxa     Neomphaolida   Superorder Vetigastropoda   Superorder Neritaemorphi     Neritopsina   Superorder Caenogastropoda     Architaenioglossa     Sorbeoconcha   Superorder Heterobranchia     Heterostropha     Opisthobranchia     Pulmonata The gastropods, or univalves, are the largest and most successful class of mollusks, with 60,000-75,000 species, and second largest class... Slugs are gastropods without or with very small shells, in contrast with snails from which they evolved, which have a prominent shell. ...

The Red Slug typically lives in gardens, fields, or other wooded areas near human activity. It is most common in western and central Europe, as well as North America; in particular, southern British Columbia. The Red Slug originated in Europe. Part of a garden in Bristol, England A flower bed in the gardens of Bristol Zoo, England. ... A field is an open land area, used for growing agricultural crops. ... This article describes the wood that comprises trees and boards. ... Binomial name Homo sapiens Linnaeus, 1758 Subspecies Homo sapiens idaltu (extinct) Homo sapiens sapiens Human beings define themselves in biological, social, and spiritual terms. ... World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... World map showing location of North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is the third largest continent in area and in population after Eurasia and Africa. ... Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Splendour without diminishment) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Lieutenant Governor Iona Campagnolo Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Area 944,735 km² (5th)  - Land 925,186 km²  - Water 19,549 km² (2. ...

Perhaps the Red Slug's most distinguishable feature is the placement of its respiratory pore just before the mid-point of its mantle. Like all slugs, the Red Slug moves relatively slow because they only have one muscular foot, which is mostly red with stripes. Respiration can refer to: Cellular respiration, which is the use of oxygen in the metabolism of organic molecules. ... A Roman snail (Helix pomatia), one of the mollusks The mantle is an organ found in mollusks. ... Enlarge to view legend Right feet of three siblings The foot is a biological structure found in many animals that is used for locomotion. ...

The Red Slug, like all other slugs, uses two pairs of tentacles to sense its environment. The darkly-coloured upper pair, called optical tentacles, is used to sense light. The lower pair provide the Red Slug's sense of smell. Both pairs can be retract and extend themselves to avoid hazards, and, if lost, can be regrown. Tentacles can refer to the elongated flexible organs that are present in many invertebrates, and sometimes to the hairs of the leaves of insectivorous plants. ... Senses are the physiological methods of perception. ... A sensor is a technological device or biological organ that detects, or senses, a signal or physical condition. ... Prism splitting light Light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength that is visible to the eye, or in a more general sense, any electromagnetic radiation in the range from infrared to ultraviolet. ...

Its genus, Arion, is derived from the name of the legendary Greek poet Arion. Its species name, rufus, is Latin for red. Although often red or brown, Arion rufus can also be greenish-brown, black, yellow, or orange. See genus (mathematics) for the use of the term in mathematics. ... Poets are authors of poems. ... Arion was a legendary poet and citharode in ancient Greece (originally of Lesbos) who lived in the court of Periander, tyrant of Corinth, Greece. ... Latin is the language that was originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... Red is a color at the lowest frequencies of light discernible by the human eye. ...

References

The Red Slug generally has heavily-wrinkled skin.

• ITIS Standard Report Page: Arion Rufus (http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=77078)
• Living Landscapes (http://www.livinglandscapes.bc.ca/cbasin/molluscs/arionidae.html)
• Rosetta, Robin; 2004. Oregon State University (http://oregonstate.edu/Dept/nurspest/Europeanredslug.htm)
• Forsyth, Robert; 2004. Land Snails of British Columbia (http://www3.telus.net/rforsyth/exotics/ariruf.htm)

External links

• Photographs of red Arion rufus (http://www.eeob.iastate.edu/faculty/DrewesC/htdocs/Rufus-4s.jpg). Retrieved May 8, 2005.
• Photographs of brown Arion rufus (http://www.invasive.org/browse/subject.cfm?sub=9154). Retrieved May 8, 2005.
• Photograph of brown Arion rufus (http://www.macrophotographie.org/insectes/images/Mollusques/M001.html). Retrieved May 8, 2005.
• Various photographs of Arion rufus (http://www.les-snats.com/fiches/arion_rufus_(cf).html). Retrieved May 8, 2005.