I recently found a very helpful thread on the forum on how to take pictures of land snails that allow for species identification. Can anyone provide similar information on slugs? For example, should I pick the slug up and take a photo of the underside? Is it safe to handle slugs?
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Some slugs require dissection to identify past genus.
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Generally it’s helpful to have a view of the top, bottom, and side, with clear shots of the texture in all cases. Sometimes the mucus color is also helpful, and even the cross sectional shape when contracted. But yes, many genera require dissection for a sure species ID, especially for introduced species where range isn’t as helpful.
And yes slugs are pretty safe to handle. Just wash your hands after because there are some rare parasites you can get from them in certain parts of the world.
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