The Albino Finds a Mate

Hi, everyone! I had to take a short hiatus from blogging in order to do some Christmas shopping, but now I'm back for a while.

I've been dying to write this particular post but haven't had a chance due to the backlog of photos. Ever since I started photographing mating slugs, I've been longing to spot our albino slug (Lehmannia valentiana) with a mate. However, as we only have the one albino, I didn't think I'd ever realize that dream; the odds were simply against me. Then one night I came upon the albino and a pigmented slug, right as they were entwining before copulation. I was ecstatic! All during the shoot, I kept taking deep breaths, shaking my head in disbelief, thanking God for giving me this opportunity I'd previously thought impossible, and straining to keep the slugs in focus. The night was cold but I didn't care. Battling the elements makes a shoot all the more rewarding; it makes it an adventure. When I returned inside to warm up, my head was in the clouds. I still couldn't believe it; my heart was full of joy and gratitude to God. So, you can see why it gives me such pleasure to share these photos with you.

Couple #34:

1. Courtship
a. Trail-following (not observed)
b. Entwining, nibbling body-mucus, mouthing

2. Copulation
a. Extrusion of the penial appendices

b. Eversion of penes, sperm exchange

c. Retraction of penes

3. Withdrawal
a. Rubbing, entwining, alternate retraction of cephalic tentacles

b. Separation

c. Consumption of leftover mucus by one of the slugs

Of course, now that I've witnessed the albino mating and know that there's a juvenile albino that will one day replace the adult, the magic has worn-off somewhat. Don't get me wrong: it was still an improbable sighting and I thank God for placing me in the right place at the right time, but now I know it wasn't impossible and there will be an albino among the slugs for a least a few more months. Thus I've turned to a new "holy grail" which I'm now chasing after: witnessing two of our marsh slugs (Deroceras laeve) mating. There are much fewer of them than of the three-band slugs, I hardly see them at night, and I haven't even seen a pair courting. But who knows what God will show me next? I just have to keep sluggin' along!