Hi
,
The next time you see a slug, here are some questions to ask ~
1. What do they do?
2. Why do they bother doing it?
3. Do they even know what they're doing?
4. Why do they go where they go?
5. Why do they go anywhere at all?
I guess those questions could go on and on, and perhaps many of the above questions could be asked about all living things, but at least most creatures are pretty, or cute. In the absence of either of those qualities, here are some really interesting and fascinating things you really need to know about slugs....
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OK, maybe just some facts, then (actually, they are fascinating!)...
1. Slugs have 27,000 teeth! Actually, they are more like tiny protrusions in the radula that help them grind food.
2. Slugs have four tentacles in two pairs. The upper ones can see - well, to a degree. The lower ones are for smell and touch. All tentacles can move independently, and can be regenerated if somehow lost.
3. Slugs can reach up to ten inches. Sea slugs can be much bigger and weigh as much as thirty pounds!
4. Slugs can elongate their bodies up to many times their normal length if they need to squeeze through a tiny hole.
5. Slug slime trails can be "read" by other slugs. A male can find a female that way!
6. Speaking of finding a mate, slugs actually don't have to! They contain both male and female reproductive systems, so in difficult times, they can fertilize themselves.
I could go on with much more information about slugs, but this is probably already more than you wanted to know about these slimy creatures. Like Calvin (of Calvin & Hobbes) quipped to Suzie, "What's the difference between a slug and a two-inch long, living booger?", upon which Suzie ran away, totally grossed out.
I couldn't possibly imagine why God made some of the creatures He did. But perhaps the most obvious is the fact that creatures are SO diverse! That fact alone is astounding, and only indicates design!
In next week's e-mail, we'll look at a creature that you've all seen, but whose existence is far less "meaningful" even than that of a slug!
