Flower

I was minding my own business...

and making a beetle enclosure (post to come) when I found a snake! I was turning over pieces of wood and a Plains Garter Snake was just chilling under the planks near where I keep firewood!

Unsurprisingly...

I didnt keep the snake. I would have loved to, as I love snakes! But I couldnt just because of my current situation and my preparation. Im creating this post for teaching purposes, Id like you all to know some of what Im about to say because it has helped me :)

Why You Cannot Just Get A Snake

You probably dont have the materials, and unless you plan to run to a store you probably will not. You need a proper means of feeding your snake, as well as a heat lamp and a proper enclosure. Where I live I cannot get these things

You should get a captive snake over a wild one. Sadly, wild snakes can have gross diseases and parasites as a result of what they eat.

You need space. This may not be a problem for many if you, but I am currently in a small living arrangement where I cannot house a snake!

You probably havent done too much research. An hour or two on wikipedia is not research, unfortunately. For complicated things of that sort I recommend so much more time and effort

Thank you for reading! Here are pictures of the snake (which I named Freddy before releasing) :)

Backstory

I thought I should make a post about why I choose to study and talk about, even keep lower species of insects and plants. I feel that this may appeal to some of you, and would love to hear any of your reasons

Theyre Cute!

Lets get this one out of the way. I think they are absolutely adorable! I find honey mushrooms to be the most appealing thing imaginable! I love bees, though they have gained much popularity, and love to sit and watch them in my garden. I love to watch snails and slugs slowly journey without a care! These things are all so cute to me :)

Theyre Underrepresented

The last time I had heard about any of these species in school was when I was in fourth grade and we had small terrariums. These lovely livings are not talked about enough, and do not get the recognition for what they do!

They Help Mental Health

I have a larger post in the works, but if you are on a mental health journey of any sort these can help. Slugs personally help with anxiety and depression! Its less talked about, but they can also help with eating disorders. It helps me study when I have a calm friend in the background :)

They Teach

I cannot tell you how much I have learned in even the past month of having a slug. I learned what they do for our world, their anatomy, amazing facts about them, and more. In having a pet you get to learn, both from them and about them, and that is something Id never pass up!

Backstory

When getting Harold, one of the main things I worried about was how he would hold up on vacations! I realized that, because he needs access to food and water, this could be quite difficult. Today I will be walking you through what I have in place!

Petsitter

Because my house has other pets, when I leave on vacations 3 or more days I have a petsitter take care of my animals. She comes by my house twice each day, which is perfect for the misting schedule! If you cannot do this, I would recommend asking a friend if they can take care of your friend :)

Food

I use a pill case labeled with days of the week to divide up the food! On this past vacation I decided to switch between bell pepper, cucumber, spinach, and tomato! I divide them up so that they are constantly switching, you can read about why in my feeding post :) Make sure that you clean out your pill case with water very thoroughly, and do not use soap or chemicals

Misting

I empty my mist bottle every two days, as its a smaller bottle. Make sure you tell your sitter about this so that they know how much mist is needed each day, as mine was very worried about how much water she was giving Harold! This will ensure comfort :)

Tips

Things to tell your sitter!

Slugs are nocturnal so your friend will not move during the day :)

Slugs are blind, so put the food near them

They may not move too much, and thats alright!

Backstory

Hello lovelies! :) Im here to tell you all about biological habitats, pros and cons of them, and my personal decision!

Biological Habitats

Biological habitats are like terrariums, theyre a space with live plants to help nurture your slug or snail friend! I havent seen too much about this so I thought Id make a quick post :)

Pros

These include plants which can help your friend feel at home

The plants provide a steady food source in case you need to leave

These provide plenty of exploring opportunity

Cons

You have to keep up on watering and caring for your plants

Your plants may need different surrounding environments than your slimey friend

You must have proper drainage for watering your plants

My Thoughts

I personally chose not to go with a biological habitat for multiple reasons. First of all I have to vacation with family often, and couldnt put so much stress on my pet sitter. This is my first vacation so far and shes already so worried about Harold. As well, I dont think Im experienced enough! If anyone has an experience or opinion to share, I would love to hear them :)

Backstory

When picking up either your pet or any slug (or snail) you want to be careful not to harm them, which is easier than most think! So how do we avoid this?

Preparation

When holding a slug you always need to have some protection between you and the slug. I always moisten my hands by spraying them with the water I dampen Harolds enclosure with. People use a variety of things including:

Wrapping them in a lettuce leaf

Water

A coat of dirt

Gloves (without harmful chemicals)

Other non harmful surfaces

While Holding

Make sure that you arent holding your slug for too long without something between you and it, especially just water. Slugs are explorers, so of course they enjoy this, but you still could be harming them. I hold my slug maybe once every three days, and pick him up otherwise just to guide him to food or clean the enclosure!

Ganoderma applanatum (Artist’s Conk)

Entoloma abortivum (Shrimp of the Woods)

Backstory

I decided I would write this to let you know about how I keep my house for my banana slug, Harold!

Temperature

I keep Harold in my room, meaning Ive had to adapt to having a cooler room. I keep the surrounding temperature between 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit, which is a decent temperature for a pacific banana slug. Make sure you adjust this to your own slugs needs!

Lighting

Slugs have eyes, though they cant make out actual figures. They can only see light levels around them, which is important. Slugs are nocturnal, and will be active in the dark, so make sure that your slug spends time in the dark so they will be able to explore

Air

One major thing to keep in mind is that slugs breathe through their skin, so the air around your enclosure needs to be chemical free. This means that I cannot spray any deodorizers within my room, as they could harm my slug

Roomates

I have three cats, and only one of them seems to realize Harold exists. However, I have to take precautions whenever I see need. When I vacation and have a friend take care of Harold I move him to a room my cats arent in!

Backstory

We often dont spend much time thinking about the ground, especially when outside. However, for slugs, we have to pay a bit more attention, These friends spend a large part of their life on and in the ground! So lets look at some terrain options for slugs!

Options

Soil: This is probably the most common terrain used in slug enclosures! This is due to the fact that it is easy to regulate and you dont need to change it out. It can also be used for a variety of habitats, such as a bioactive enclosure!

Moss: Moss is a great option, though it adds a bioactive quality to your enclosure, which not all are quite ready for! It is handy if you are in a drier place, as moss will contain and keep more water. Its also a nice treat for your slug!

Rodent Terrain: I dont know the technical term for this, but those small wood scrap hamsters use are great examples of how adaptable slugs are! Your slug will thrive in this environment, as well as many others!

Soil:

If you are using soil, make sure to use some from where you found your slug, or just outdoors in general

Do not use potting soils, even if they are organic, as these can still damage your slug

Do not add any chemicals to your slugs soil, as well as anything to raise levels of ph, nitrogen, etc

Moss:

Use an organic moss that you find outside your home

Beware that you cant bake the moss, so critters might be nesting in it, and will therefore be introduced into your home

This adds a bioactive feature (more in a post to come) and therefore it will need maintenance as if you were growing moss!

Rodent Terrain

Not too much I can say about this, but it is easy to burrow in making it an amazing terrain for many slugs!

Backstory

I didnt come across some of the donts included in this article until well after I had started caring for my slug, so Im going to include some of the most important information I have with anyone who would like.

Dos

Slugs enjoy a damp environment, as they breathe through their skin. As well, it help to make sure they are comfortable, and breeds some bacteria. These are some dos with water!

Keep your enclosure moist! I often moisten Harolds enclosure twice or three times a day, as I want to make sure they are comfortable. If you want to moisten more just make sure there arent any puddles!

Wet your hands with the same water you use for the enclosure when picking up your slug (more about this included in post to come)

Donts

I wish I had learned about some of these sooner, as they are crucial to know in having a slug!

Do not give your slug a water bowl! They absorb water from the air and through their skin. This isnt too likely, but theres a chance your friend could die in this water bowl!

Do not use tap water!!! I learned this so much later than I wish I had, and it could have done more harm if I hadnt realized. I use a reverse osmosis treated water from my local market, as it doesnt contain the chemicals that will harm slugs, such as salts

This was mentioned a bit in the dos but dont overwater your slug! You can tell by the saturation of the soil (It is moldable but does not seep water)