05/27/2021
People keep trying to get me to post/blog(whatever the heck that means!) about things that have to do with plants, history, and the natural world here in the Pacific Northwest. Specifically north Washington and Northwest Washington state.
Warning:
This is just my observations and my experiences as a botanist, biologist, historian, and lover of the natural world. And will be In my non-traditional wording.
Plus there will be a lot of common sense approach handed down several generations from Farmers, biologists, botanists, horticulturists, herbal medicine and native plant users. And yes things will be random!
First up is slugs.
Most people in my area don't realize that 97% of the slugs that they see are non-native. our native slugs are "put together" a bit different than the European Invaders. Our native slugs had natural predators. And they weren't near as aggressive as the non-native slugs.
Native slugs have predators (toads, garter snakes, lizard, and some birds and some beetles. BUT, less than 3% of the slugs here are native! The other 97% are European introduced species. They are more aggressive have thicker skin/hide, secrete thicker and more slime when injured and come in all sizes shapes and colors. With a voracious appetite! The only true predator they have are the European hedgehogs. Because of their thicker hide and thicker and more prevalent slime, our native species can't eat them as well and they're pretty well given up eating any slugs because they so rarely find one they can handle. I have seen dead snakes and toads with a mouthful of a non-native slug that had choked them to death!
And now a non-native snail has invaded! It has a beautiful shell but unlike our native species it doesn't only eat dead and decaying plant matter it eats wonderful nice fresh green leaves. So it's just as detrimental as it's cousin the non-native European slug. And once again it's extremely aggressive towards our poor native specie of snail.
People try to come up with all kinds of reasons that slugs are good. But I hate to tell them this; the native slug has its place and the native snail has its place but being overrun with non-native species with no native predator, there is nothing good about that! And I personally will try to eliminate as many of the invasive, non-native slugs and snails as I can. it may be a losing battle but I'm willing to try! At least try for our native species survival.
Lesson:
Don't "unbalance" Nature!
The outcome is never good!!
