There are over 1000 species of native Australian
Introduced land slug species can be found across Australia in backyards, usually among veggie gardens. Yet our terrestrial natives are confined to the eastern parts of Australia because they prefer wet forest, says Queensland Museum's Dr John Stanisic, who goes by the nickname 'the snail whisperer'.
All terrestrial slugs have evolved directly from terrestrial snails; with the most obvious evolutionary shift being the loss of their large external protective shells; however modern slug species do still have a vestigial shell, a remnant left over from their evolutionary past.
The Garden Snail was introduced to Australia from Europe. It is always associated with human populations and rarely encountered away from cities. This edible snail is commercially raised in Australia and exported to countries such as France where it is eaten as 'escargot'.
Introduced snail species generally arrived accidently in Australia on potted plants, or stuck to packing cases, pallets and shipping containers. The introduced common garden snail (Cantareus aspersus) has lived in Australia for over 100 years.
In Australia, they've got a giant snail problem. The giant African snail is a true nightmare. These snails grow to the size of a baseball, can lay 1,200 eggs every year, survive all sorts of extreme temperatures, have no natural predators, and eat 500 crops, plus the sides of houses.
Giant African snails are pests, not pets
Since exotic snails are likely to escape and spread causing problems for all kinds of plants and the environment in Australia, snails from overseas including giant African snails are prohibited. You cannot bring snails into Australia or purchase them online.
More than 80% of our plants, mammals, reptiles and frogs are unique to Australia and are found nowhere else in the world. Some of our Australian animals are very well known like kangaroos, dingos, wallabies and wombats and of course the koala, platypus and echidna.
While slugs and snails don't usually seriously threaten our home gardens, some species are known agricultural pests. The common garden snail can cause major damage to citrus fruit and young trees, while slugs such as the leopard slug or the grey field slug can devastate fields of seedlings.
Since all of our pest snails and slugs are introduced, there are limited agents that control them in Western Australia. This partly explains why they are such pests. Some predatory beetles and lizards feed on them, but birds and rats are the most effective. Small pointed snail.
Slugs and snails are very important. They provide food for all sorts of mammals, birds, slow worms, earthworms, insects and they are part of the natural balance. Upset that balance by removing them and we can do a lot of harm. Thrushes in particular thrive on them!
But are these slow-moving creatures poisonous or dangerous? While slugs are slimy and damaging to plants, they are not poisonous to humans. However, some of them may carry diseases and parasites, such as the rat lungworm, that can be dangerous to other animals and us.
Snails continue to be a massive industry in the restaurant industry. Land snail dishes are now exclusive in many areas of France, the United Kingdom, West Africa, and a few other countries, where they command high prices and are part of unique recipes.
“Salt essentially draws the water out of their skin – an osmosis effect – and they die within minutes of dehydration,” says Dr Gordon Port, senior lecturer at Newcastle University. “Slugs and snails are extremely dependent on a high water content in their bodies. They constantly need water to replenish any the lose.
Leopard Slugs are the invertebrate giants of the garden; they are the largest terrestrial slug in Australia. They eat mostly at night, mainly feeding on detritus, preferring decaying vegetable matter to living plant material, though they will eat other slugs and dead animal matter.
As much as we hate them for the damage they do to our garden plants, we need to recognize slugs as an important part of the ecosystems because many species are decomposers and feed on fallen leaves, dead insects and dead worms. They are also food for snakes, toads, turtles and birds.
Slugs will come inside the house for something they need, likely warmth, food or shade. Knowing what attracts them could help keep them at bay. "The yellow cellar slug mostly eats mould and algae but can also be found eating leftovers, pet food and compost," says Hayley.
Plants that slugs hate
As well as those with tough leaves or woody stems that they find difficult to chew. The robust lacy fronds of shade-loving ferns and thick leaves of Geranium, Bergenia (Elephant's ears) and Saxifraga × urbium (London pride) are all too thick for them to sink their teeth into.
Most introduced species were imported into Australia deliberately, as they served some purpose to people. Dogs and cats were introduced as domestic pets, foxes and rabbits were introduced to provide us with game for recreational hunting, and camels were introduced to provide transport.
Somehow when the two countries physically separated some 85 million years ago, New Zealand's animals didn't evolve the same way. You probably know Australia's most famous native wildlife – the koala, kangaroo, wombat, emu, snakes and crocodile.
“Rabbits, a plant root disease and feral pigs are the top three pest species impacting Australia's threatened species,” Mr Kearney said. “Rabbits are our most destructive invasive species, impacting over 300 threatened species.
France remains world's number one consumer of snails, going through about 30,000 tonnes every year. It only produces between 5 and 10 percent of these, however, the rest are imported, mostly from Eastern Europe and North Africa.
Rabbits have been ranked with foxes and cats as among Australia's worst pests, wild pigs have become major agricultural and environmental problems, cattle in the Kimberley region damage scarce rainforest tracts, and deer escaping from poorly-managed or failed deer farms are out of control in Queensland, Victoria and ...
There are over 1000 species of native Australian snails and slugs. However, most of the snails and slugs we find in our gardens are not natives.