Sometimes my classes get a close up look at the Limax maximus, the common garden slug, and their slimy mollusc bodies. Students will look at the two sets of tentacles (eyespots and sensory tentacles) and the hole the land slug breathes through. Some will touch it to see what the slug feels like and quite a few students will let the slug slime all over them. Way to be brave!
Slugs can be considered gross because of the copious amounts of mucus they leave behind. The mucus helps them get a better grip on surfaces and helps prevent dessication, drying out. It can also make the slug more difficult to pick up by predators. More information about slugs can be found here.
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