Largest species of terrestrial gastropod I could keep as a pet in the US?

Ripa · Mar 2, 2015

Well considering GALS are illegal here, what's the next best thing I could keep? Used to have a fairly large Cepaea nemoralis when I was younger that I found on a bush, but eventually released it. There's also some large leopard slug specimens from where I live, which are cool too. They don't seem as common as they used to be anymore, however.

truecreature · Mar 2, 2015

Unless you live in banana slug (which technically are illegal to remove from the wild I think) territory, leopard slugs are the largest you'd be able to keep. Apple snails are supposed to get pretty big but they're aquatic.

As a gastropod fan, it just kills me we can't keep GAL's here.

Ripa · Mar 2, 2015

raisinjelly said:
Unless you live in banana slug (which technically are illegal to remove from the wild I think) territory, leopard slugs are the largest you'd be able to keep. Apple snails are supposed to get pretty big but they're aquatic.

As a gastropod fan, it just kills me we can't keep GAL's here.

Wow, that really stinks.... Looks like we got screwed out of another cool thing....

truecreature · Mar 2, 2015

Yep pretty much

Europe gets all the best stuff

The Snark · Mar 2, 2015

raisinjelly said:
Unless you live in banana slug (which technically are illegal to remove from the wild I think) territory,...

Walking a trail at Jedediah Smith State park (redwood country) I saw numerous banana slugs along the way with a stick or twig poked through each one. Back at the parking lot I saw a Park Ranger and went over to report the problem. The ranger was busy however, giving a citation to this miscreant. $100 fine per slug injured.

The rangers and park attendants take their job very seriously in Calif. That park is a wonderful place to visit. The forest filming for the movie Return of the Jedi was done there.

Ripa · Mar 2, 2015

The Snark said:
Walking a trail at Jedediah Smith State park (redwood country) I saw numerous banana slugs along the way with a stick or twig poked through each one. Back at the parking lot I saw a Park Ranger and went over to report the problem. The ranger was busy however, giving a citation to this miscreant. $100 fine per slug injured.

The rangers and park attendants take their job very seriously in Calif. That park is a wonderful place to visit. The forest filming for the movie Return of the Jedi was done there.

Wow, I've never seen a wild banana slug in person. Would've been pretty ticked off about that...

The Snark · Mar 2, 2015

It's a form of entertainment up on the north coast to watch tourists encounter banana slugs for the first time. Someone picks one up, then the time delayed realization, followed by the search for someplace to wash hands followed by the time delayed second realization. Used to sit in this cafe and observe at least one of those scenarios each day during the major tourist season.

Banana slug mucus is more or less impervious to all soaps and solvents in this and several other universes. It can take a week or longer to wear off. Of note, they are remarkably effective detrivores, specially adapted to redwood forest floors where they consume the leaves which are highly resistant to rot otherwise. An intrinsic critical component of the Sempervirens ecosytem. They also love animal feces, especially cat poo, but not especially fond of herbivore feces.

Ripa · Mar 2, 2015

The Snark said:
It's a form of entertainment up on the north coast to watch tourists encounter banana slugs for the first time. Someone picks one up, then the time delayed realization, followed by the search for someplace to wash hands followed by the time delayed second realization. Used to sit in this cafe and observe at least one of those scenarios each day during the major tourist season.

Banana slug mucus is more or less impervious to all soaps and solvents in this and several other universes. It can take a week or longer to wear off. Of note, they are remarkably effective detrivores, specially adapted to redwood forest floors where they consume the leaves which are highly resistant to rot otherwise. An intrinsic critical component of the Sempervirens ecosytem. They also love animal feces, especially cat poo, but not especially fond of herbivore feces.

Interesting... so I guess if my ferrets were still alive right now, I could have one live off a diet of their poop? Then again, I still have two dogs, but their poo is kinda big (they're mastiffs after all) and yuckier than ferret poop... Then again, I'd anticipate it to be quickly consumed by mold, which would be even more gross and put the gastropod's life in jeopardy.

The Snark · Mar 3, 2015

Ripa said:
Interesting... so I guess if my ferrets were still alive right now, I could have one live off a diet of their poop? Then again, I still have two dogs, but their poo is kinda big (they're mastiffs after all) and yuckier than ferret poop... Then again, I'd anticipate it to be quickly consumed by mold, which would be even more gross and put the gastropod's life in jeopardy.

Most detrivores don't mind mold at all. Maybe they consider it frosting. I mean, come on. Mold is the principle organism of their native habitat. Most likely there are numerous symbiosis going on. A banana slug can process a cat turd it's size every 24 hours.

Ripa · Mar 3, 2015

The Snark said:
Most detrivores don't mind mold at all. Maybe they consider it frosting. I mean, come on. Mold is the principle organism of their native habitat. Most likely there are numerous symbiosis going on. A banana slug can process a cat turd it's size every 24 hours.

Yea, that makes sense. I figured that if there is mold, then there might be room for other more harmful organisms... but then again, detritivores evolved ways to combat those, too...

Largest species of terrestrial gastropod I could keep as a pet in the US?

Ripa

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