Two Successful Births - Part 2

Days after finding that one of the baby slugs (Lehmannia valentiana) in my experimental tub had hatched prematurely, I discovered with delight that not one, but two had hatched successfully! Compare these photos to the ones of Clutches #9 & 10.

I initially thought that only one had hatched, but on taking another look around, I spotted a second buried a little ways in the dirt. Carefully removing him, I placed him on a piece of wood and took him outside.

Baby Slug #2 (from either Clutch #4 or 5):

In the center of the picture is the opened egg I think this slug hatched from, but I'm not sure. To the right you'll see the first baby slug I found.

After getting the photos I needed, I placed both of the slugs under a stepping-stone outside, where I had recently found other newly-hatched ones. Hopefully they were able to find food and a cozy napping place. It's neat to think that next spring or summer I might observe these same slugs as adults, eating and mating, producing another generation. And on and on life goes in its seemingly never-ending cycle...