A Premature Birth

In an effort to solve the egg mystery, I filled a plastic tub with soil, laid Clutch #4 on top, and placed the stepping stone, on the underside of which is Clutch #5, on top of it. Then I put the whole thing on a table in the garage. That way the eggs would be in a dark and cool place, as they would have been outside, and I was able to moisten the soil with water from a spray bottle whenever it got dry. I was hoping that in a few days I'd have some baby slugs crawling around and I'd finally be able to pinpoint the species that has been laying these eggs. I've been monitoring the tub daily, and I was really excited to find that one of the slugs had hatched. However, it turned out to be a premature birth. The baby slug was far too small and didn't survive. When I nudged it with the tweezers, it didn't move at all. I think the egg might've opened too early.

This is what the slug should look like after hatching:

Now compare that to the photos below.

Yesterday afternoon the baby slug was upright, clinging to the underside of the stepping-stone:

It's hard to see, but the slug is right in front of the egg in the center of the picture.

Last night I found it on its side on a piece of wood in the dirt:

The bulge on its back is the undeveloped mantle, containing the vital organs.

If you look closely you can see two little dark spots on the front of its head: undeveloped eye-spots, presumably.

And today I found it in the same position, lying on its side:

It's so sad to witness, but this happens all the time in nature. I was a premature baby myself, but I had doctors to take care of me, ensuring my survival. By contrast, wild animals usually have to survive at the mercy of the elements, parasites, rivals, predators, and physical defects. But as a good friend reminded me, God keeps every creature in His hand, just as He does us, and He knows their suffering, just as He does ours. The groans of His creation reach His ears. He cares about every living thing that falls victim to the effects of Sin's presence in the world. Even the smallest organism's plight doesn't escape His attention. Though He did not create Sin, He will not allow it to roam the earth forever. Both life and death, joy and suffering, are securely enveloped in His perfect plan for the universe.