Red Triangle Slug
Click to enlarge image
© Vicki Elliott
Fast Facts
-
Classification
- Genus
- Triboniophorus
- Species
- graeffei
- Subfamily
- Aneitinae
- Family
- Athoracophoridae
- Super Family
- Athoracophoroidea
- Suborder
- Helicina
- Infraorder
- Succineoidei
- Order
- Stylommatophora
- Superorder
- Eupulmonata
- Subclass
- Heterobranchia
- Class
- Gastropoda
- Phylum
- Mollusca
- Kingdom
- Animalia
-
- Size Range
- 14 cm
This native slug is probably the best known and one of the most spectacular slugs in Sydney gardens.
Identification
The Red Triangle Slug is Australia's largest native land slug. The distinctive red triangle on its back contains the breathing pore.
Habitat
Red Triangle Slugs are found in urban areas, forests and woodlands and heath.
Distribution
East coast of Australia: Queensland, New South Wales.
Feeding and diet
The Red Triangle Slug is usually found grazing on microscopic algae growing on the surface of smooth-barked eucalypt trees, leaving behind scalloped tracks as it goes. If given the chance, it will also remove bathroom mould.
Red triangle slug.
Image: John Furlong© John Furlong
Other behaviours and adaptations
Native slugs can be differentiated from introduced slugs because they have only one pair of tentacles, while introduced snails and slugs have two pairs. Also, the saddle-shaped mantle seen in introduced snails is reduced or absent in native snails and slugs.
