Land slugs in Crna Gora-Montenegro

[petzenbeer]

I have been in Crna Gora-Montenegro the last two weeks in September! There have been about 4 days with more or less rain. One very wet day I have been in the area around Kolasin and Tomasevo. I went around the Biogradsko jezero in the Biogradsko National Park. But on the whole journey I did not see ONE land slug, an only a small number of snails with houses at the coast, mostly Cornu aspersum. At home in austria i would have seen “millions” of Arion vulgaris. Woh can explain me the lack of land slugs in Montenegro, even if it is rainy?

[gljcrsmith1]

It’s interesting that you didn’t see any land slugs in Montenegro, especially with all that rain. I think the difference might come down to the climate and habitat. Even though it rains, Montenegro’s Mediterranean climate, especially along the coast, might not have the same consistent moisture that slugs thrive on. In Austria, there’s usually a lot more dampness overall, which probably supports the higher numbers of slugs like Arion vulgaris.

Another thing that might be affecting the slug population is local wildlife. Maybe there are more predators in Montenegro keeping the numbers down. And the vegetation plays a role too—slugs need decaying plant matter to feed on, so if the plant communities are different, it could limit their food supply.

It’s also possible that human activity is having an impact. Agricultural practices or land use in certain areas could be making it harder for slugs to thrive. You might have better luck finding them in areas with less human disturbance.

[petzenbeer]

You might be right concerning the implications of the climate. Obviously there are 155 observed species or species groups of mullusc on iNaturalist, and only nine of the belong to the naked slugs.Noteworthy the overall in Central Europe sliming Arion vulgaris has not been seen in Montenegro by iNaturalists.

But dry climate and the use of poison in agriculture and in touristic accomodation areas on the coast can explain the lack of slugs perhaps in the south. But not in the north and especially not in the National Park of Biogradska Gora.

The Biogradska jezero is a lake embedded in a predominantly beech forest (Fagus), but there are other and smaller plants as well, so there should be enough food.