The Kerry spotted slug Geomalacus maculosus has a restricted European range and may be threatened by loss of habitat. Diet of a slug generally depends on their immediate habitat, availability of food and their species too. The Kerry Slug loves the humidity and warmth that the south west of Ireland offers it and it lives on the many mosses and lichens found in this part of Ireland. The slug is widespread in the Old Red Sandstone areas of the National Park and populations there are contiguous with those outside the National Park boundaries. The Kerry slug (Geomalacus maculosus) is notable for its distribution, being found only in Kerry and West Cork in Ireland as well as in northern Spain and Portugal. [7], Within the mantle, most land slugs have the remnants of what was in the evolutionary past a larger, external shell. The synonyms are other binomial names that were given over time to this taxon by authors who were unaware that the specimens they were describing belonged to a species already described by Allman. Kerry Slug Introduction The Kerry slug lives in just a few places in the world—southwestern Ireland, Portugal, and Spain. ", "Land and freshwater shells peculiar to the British Isles", "Note on the geographical distribution of, Bridges & Species: Post-Glacial Colonisation, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kerry_slug&oldid=989681440, Taxa named by George Allman (natural historian), Articles with German-language sources (de), Articles with French-language sources (fr), Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Articles with dead external links from May 2017, All Wikipedia articles written in Irish English, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2019, Taxonbars using multiple manual Wikidata items, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, establish ‘a system of strict protection’ for listed species, prohibit ‘deliberate disturbance … particularly during the period of breeding, rearing, hibernation and migration’, prohibit ‘deliberate destruction or taking of eggs from the wild’. [23][24][40] In captivity, the Kerry slug has been fed on porridge, bread, dandelion leaves, lichen Cladonia fimbriata, carrot, cabbage, cucumber and lettuce. The surface texture of this area resembles the underside of undyed leather; it is spotted with pale, buff or light-coloured spots that are similar to those on the body but are more uniformly distributed. A proposed cycling and pedestrian "greenway" will disturb the habitats for the Kerry Slug and the Lesser Horseshoe Bat, it has been claimed in a High Court challenge. Sites were selected on the basis that previous surveys had found high numbers of Kerry slugs in these areas [30, 33, 34, 35]. Other potential dangers to the species are climate change and air pollution, which negatively affect the lichens eaten by the Kerry slug. Slugs, in general, are omnivorous. Questo Pokémon non ha né braccia , ne gambe , ma si muove strisciando. The Kerry slug is dark gray or brown with… Read More; Leopard Slug The outermost teeth show a more embryonic character. He compared this to the calcareous darts in other genera; on the preceding pages he had described such structures in the Asian slug genus Anadenus). The Kerry slug is placed in the genus Geomalacus, which means "earth mollusc". This particular disjunct distribution in Iberia and Ireland with no intermediate localities is known as a "Lusitanian distribution". The locomotory mucus is tenacious and usually colourless but is sometimes yellow because of mixing with body slime. The project also provided information on the movements of slugs in woodland and on boulder fields. With the extra warmth and rain of climate change, perhaps conifer forestry could offer these slugs a new habitat. The Kerry slug has an internal shell or shell plate that resembles those found in land slugs of the genus Limax; it is ovoid, solid and chalky with a transparent conchiolin (horny) base. Kerry Slug (Geomalacus maculosus) 1355. It is listed under Annex II of the Habitats Directive and seven Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) have been designated for the species with a combined total area of approximately 95,337 hectares. Within Ireland the habitat of G. maculosus has, until relatively recently, been believed to be re-stricted to the sandstone geology of the south-west of Ireland (west counties Cork and Kerry). Slender Naiad (Najas flexilis) 1106. Woodlands are dominated by tree cover, with a diverse range of animals and plants, some of which rely entirely on this as a habitat. gneiss and serpentine. A special feature of the genus Geomalacus, is the extremely elongated atrium. Salmon (Salmo salar) N.B. [37] In Ireland, it also occurs in upland conifer plantations and areas of clear-fell. Kerry Slug. [18], The species has in unusual defensive behaviour; whereas most land slugs retract the head and contract the body but stay firmly attached to the substrate when they are attacked or threatened, the Kerry slug retracts its head, lets go of the substrate and rolls itself into a ball-like shape. Kerry Slug A population of Kerry slugs has been recorded at the site. … [7], The vas deferens is long, complexly twisted, and rolled in a bundle. Here the slugs … The Kerry slug was described in 1843—later than many other relatively large land gastropods present in Ireland and Great Britain—an indication of its restricted distribution and secretive habits. The species' binomial name is sometimes written as Geomalacus (Geomalacus) maculosus because the genus Geomalacus contains two subgenera; the nominate subgenus (subgenus of the same name) Geomalacus and a second subgenus Arrudia Pollonera, 1890. The cephalic (head) gland known as Semper's organ is well developed and shows as two strong, flattened lobes. [52], Since 1990, the Kerry slug has been successfully bred in captivity. In Ireland, seven Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) have been designated for its conservation. [38] In Iberia it usually occurs in granite mountains,[36] and on slates, quartzite, schists, The EC (Natural Habitats) Regulations 1997. The Kerry slug is not considered an agricultural pest, unlike some other slugs in the family Arionidae. [7], CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (. The subgenus Geomalacus contains only one species, the Kerry slug; three species comprise Arrudia. Kerry Slug. The Kerry spotted slug Geomalacus maculosus (Allman) is unusual in that it appears to possess disrup-tive patterning as well as background-matching colour-ation which may provide different degrees of … [24] Similar distribution patterns have been observed in other species of animals and plants. There are approximately 40 species of slug currently found in the UK, with only a small number of these considered as pest species. [7] The skin mucus is usually pale yellow and varies in viscosity. The slug is also protected under the Wildlife Act 1976 (as amended) having been added under Statutory Instrument No. Endangered Kerry slug could suffer unmitigated noise pollution if Kerry greenway get green light. [7], The gland above the foot, the suprapedal gland, is deeply imbedded in the tissues and reaches far back. In juveniles the shield shows lyre-shaped markings, as is the case in slugs of the genus Arion. The slug with relatives in Portugal has been found only in Cork and Kerry until recently when it emerged in Connemara and is one of the southwest’s Iberian species. When touched, Kerry slugs roll up into a ball, like a hedgehog, a habit still unique among Ireland’s 32 slug species. Species listed on Annex IV of the EU Habitats Directive include Otter, all of Irelands Bat species, the Natterjack Toad and the Kerry Slug. [43] The Kerry slug's predators include larvae of the third instar of the fly Tetanocera elata.[43]. [7], The Kerry slug mates in head-to-head position with partners' genital openings facing each other. During daylight hours, the slug usually hides in crevices of rocks and under loose bark on trees. The Kerry spotted slug Geomalacus maculosus has a restricted European range and may be threatened by loss of habitat. the south-west of Ireland for which the Kerry Slug is the qualifying feature. Unsurprisingly, the research found that most slugs do not appear to move far. [45] The principal mechanisms used by the Directive to protect habitats and species are the creation of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and the protection of species independently of their habitats by other means. The animals themselves are attractively marked with white or cream spots on a black or brown background. The pharyngeal (throat) retractor muscle is furcate (split) where it attaches to the back of the buccal bulb (mouth bulb); its other end is anchored on the right side of the body, just behind the site of attachment of the right tentacular muscle.[7]. However more information is needed to determine whether the species can recolonise areas it has become extinct in. [8] The Kerry slug has been included in molecular phylogenetics studies since 2001. Quick facts. The most serious threat to the Kerry slug is probably the modification of habitat, which reduces its lichen and moss food sources. The genital pore or opening lies behind and below the right eye tentacle. In Geomalacus, the penis and its penial retractor muscle have been lost. Black slugs predominate in heathlands, whereas the brown form is only found in woodlands. The Kerry Slug, Geomalacus maculosus is listed on Annex II and IV of the EU Habitats Directive 92/43/EC. [10] In 2010, a previously unknown population was recorded further north in County Galway. [24] This can lead to the local disappearance of the species, which was documented in Spain. The median teeth are small, have one cusp and are slightly shouldered. [19] It is presumed that the bursa retractor muscle retracts the atrial diverticulum. u/suitrael. The vas deferens and the bursa duct open nearly together into the far extremity of the atrium, the duct into which both the male and the female systems open and which connects to the outside via the genital pore. 13. Protection, monitoring, and captive breeding of the species have helped to keep them going. The Kerry Slug cannot be accused of being a pest as it is only found in the wild landscapes of the south and west. Forested sites were a com-bination of conifer plantations and oak woodlands (Fig. Kerry Slugs are protected in all of the locations that they are found in. The Kerry slug is a distinctive spotted mollusc, which occurs in three broad habitat types, namely deciduous woodland, unimproved oligotrophic open moor or blanket bog,, and lake shores. [23][32], In Spain, the distribution of this species includes coastal locations in Galicia and extends through the Cantabrian Mountains as far east as Mount Ganekogorta in the Basque Country. 1). The salivary and digestive glands are the same as those found in Arion species but the vestigial osphradium (kidney-like structure) within the mantle chamber is more distinct than it is in Arion species. [10] This is behaviour is unique among species in Arionidae[11] and among slugs in Ireland. Posted by. In the Kerry slug, the radula is 8 mm (5/16 in) long and 2 mm (1/16 in) wide, and has 240 slightly curved, transverse rows of denticles; tiny teeth. [7], The Kerry slug's upper tentacles are smoky-black or grey, short and thick with oval ends, and have eye spots at their tips. It was once thought that Geomalacus maculosus lives only in wild habitats. Apparently it is the only slug that can roll into a ball. [38] The Kerry slug is not considered an agricultural pest,[24] unlike some other slugs in the family Arionidae. "Description of a new genus of pulmonary gastropods". This characteristic is responsible for the common name of the species, the lettuce sea slug. Danny Healy-Rae: Are these slugs wearing Kerry jerseys? The atrial diverticulum has been proposed to be the functional equivalent, homoplasy) of a penis, acting as a copulatory organ. The ventricle of the heart is further away and further back than it is in species of the related genus Arion, the type-genus of the family Arionidae. Under this definition, no monitoring of the Kerry Slug had been undertaken in Ireland as of May 2010. The Kerry slug or Kerry spotted slug (Geomalacus maculosus) is a species of terrestrial, pulmonate, gastropod mollusc. Given that the slug has thus far been recorded exclusively at locations in Ireland and north-western Iberia, it can be said to tentatively possess a Lusitanian distribution. [36], Until 2014, the natural enemies of Geomalacus maculosus were not known. These localities fall within the boundaries of various autonomous communities: Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, Castile and León (provinces of León, Palencia and Zamora), and the Basque Country provinces of Biscay and Álava. Broadcast on: August 07th, 2018. (2006). At first glance, the rugged landscapes of the Gap of Dunloe might not seem like the most welcoming habitat for animals, but you would be surprised to know just how rich in wildlife this region is. Fauna Europaea search: Fauna Europaea GBIF: Global Biodiversity Information Facility Habitats Directive Art. [10] Eggs are laid in clusters of 18 to 30,[10] and are held together by a film of mucus. Since 1990 the species has been maintained at the Endangered Species Breeding Unit, Martin Mere, under a low‐maintenance husbandry regime. In fact, a better suiting description would be a generalist that feeds a plethora of organic matters including leaves of living plants, lichens and mushrooms some slugs are even found to feed on small fruits such as strawberries. One … The body of a fixed (preserved) adult specimen was 7 cm (2.8 in) long with a mantle length of 3 cm (1.2 in). In young Kerry slugs the shell is very thin and convex, abruptly cut off behind, and with an extremely thin layer that projects in front and contains minute granules.[7]. [25], The need to improve monitoring was discussed by the NPWS Threat Response Plan of 2010, which recognised that population statistics were still deficient, particularly outside the SACs. TV. 2013 - Kerry Slug Survey A Biology.ie Project run in conjunction with University College Galway. This page was last edited on 20 November 2020, at 11:58. [23][32] There have been unconfirmed findings of this slug from Navarra. It feeds on lichens, liverworts, mosses and fungi, which grow on boulders and tree trunks. An adult Kerry slug generally measures 7–8 cm (2.8–3.2 in) in length and is dark grey or brownish in colour, with yellowish spots. As at 2017, some of these sites have yet to be designated as Special Areas of Conservation:[28], The Kerry slug is primarily nocturnal. This turns into the free oviduct after the vas deferens carrying the sperm branches off. [6] The English-language common name is derived from County Kerry in the south-west of Ireland, where the type specimens that were used for the formal scientific description were collected. The free oviduct is long and consistently thin. The slugs have two colour morphs, brown and black. (1846). The jaw is solid, dark-brown and has about 10 broad flat ribs in the middle part of the jaw. Habitat loss and loss of some of their favorite foods (lichens and mosses) have been hurting the populations of the unique little slug. The largest eggs are more elongate, being 8.5 mm × 4.25 mm (0.335 by 0.167 inches); the smallest are more ovoid and are 6 mm × 3 mm (0.24 in × 0.12 in). Project aims to recreate 44 acres of habitat to protect endangered Kerry Slug. [18] The Habitats Directive was transposed into Irish law by: The Irish National Parks and Wildlife Service published a Species Action Plan for the Kerry slug in January 2008.