Lichen with Gastropod by Chipka
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No AI - This artwork was created entirely by hand or with traditional digital tools.
Description
I happen to like slugs quite a lot. This proves that I am not a gardener. I like flowers; I like gardens; I like things that are beautiful, but for me, flowers lack excitement on a profound level. As much as I may like them, they don’t really possess the habit of engaging in rather amusing, often nonsensical antics. Perhaps this is why I like woodlice so much, and why cats will forever get away with anything they want to in my presence. I have learned, from woodlice and from cats, to never underestimate the value of good entertainment.
Slugs—on the other hand—are fascinating simply because they’re so strange. They are like single celled organisms in that they are primarily composed of water, with a few protein-bits thrown to allow the maintenance of a coherent shape…they’re semi-permeable and salt kills them, but they’re impervious to broken glass, diamond powder, and the edges of razor blades. It is amusing, as well, that they like beer. I don’t know if I’d consider slugs to be drinking buddies, but because they like beer, I can feel less lonely in knowing that I have something in common with every land living, shell-less gastropod on the planet. Okay, and I think that it’s rather cool that they have teeth on their tongues. They don’t bite and chew their food. They simply lick it and tear it to shreds in the process.
On my search for woodlice and lichens, I found this little slug. As usual, I was in a particular truck yard, bored stiff, but vaguely amused by the antics of local fauna: including a whole population of maggots enjoying a rather smelly lunch. The truck yard dogs (Rover and Blondie) were quite interested in the decaying bird, but then dogs—bless ‘em!—happen to like things that stink. They’ll spend hours sniffing. Ah, but dogs are strange like that. They’ll spend hours licking their various excretory openings, and then insist on licking your face immediately afterward! It’s really no wonder, then, that stinky things intrigue them intrigue them to no end. Because of a somewhat boring stinky thing, I went in search for something else. That’s when I saw this slug, right at eye level. S/he’d probably been feasting on moss and lichens. The sun’s position changed, however, and being mostly water, the slug was interested in finding a place that would allow it to maintain its wetness. I made this photograph, just after the little critter crossed to the shadier side of the gnarly, old cottonwood tree that was kind enough to provide the backdrop you see here.
There will be no pictures of dead birds and maggots in this gallery. For as lurid as dead birds may seem, they don’t really look that interesting, and they smell a bit too interestingly for close proximity. Slugs on the other hand—standard, Chicago snot factories—are interesting in that they’re slow enough to photograph. Unlike their drier cousins, however, they don’t respond well to throwing. They’re incredibly adhesive, and the only way protect those decorative salads known as gardens from them, is to surround them with a beer moat, which—unfortunately—draws fruit-flies, and when fruit-flies get drunk, they get rowdy.
As always, thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting, and I hope (for those who celebrate the holiday) that you’re having a fantastic Memorial Day and the beginning of a great week.
Comments (23)
Fascinating biology lesson here. Watch out for those rowdy fruit-flies!
Wow, Chip. Never thought I'd be fascinated by a wet slug in the vicinity of an old lichen covered cottonwood tree in your dad's truckyard on Memorial day:-))) Once again your descriptive writing had me completely captivated while mucking around with truckyard dogs, dead birds and rowdy half-drunk fruit flies. Well, I guess the fruit flies really weren't at the party today but we had their bad habits in mind:) Well done and happy M-Day to you too.
I love to read your words, they are always leading through a fascinating world and this shot is a fascinating one too, showing exactly what you mean...smile
fantastic story and image!!
Great to read you:)Thank you so much.The tones of green of the lichen and the shine of the slug is a fabulous view of nature working alone...Fabulous image! I love a lot the black contrasting with such luminousity!
NOW YOU'RE TALKIN'. Slugs. Favorite subject/am a gardener/don't kill them/like them for their role. You did great research here. I was a biology major who long ago dissected too many of them (guilt). They have a tiny tiny shell in their head just to prove where they came from. And I photograph them too. Kindred Spirits.
Wonderful capture my friend.
Drunk fruit flies are the worst crowd to control too. If you watch and listen closely they are always getting into fruit fly bar fights and throwing each other into glass windows. Like they could ever throw each other out one. I like this shot. Slugs are kind of cute in their own way.
cool shot
It looks like it's contemplating a leap from one level to another; a suicidal slug? (Sounds like a great name for a thrash band, "Suicidal slugs") Your musings are a-musing as always!
Oh man ... I love the "Suicidal Slugs." Salt shakers on stage, bottles of beer, and rolls of copper flashing. Yeah baby! LOL! You can come visit, my friend. I've got enough slugs to keep you happy and in photographs all year. :)
Another fantastic narritive Chip and gorgeous capture of the slimy slug and the lush green lichens. Dana
Slugs, yechhhhh---not much else to say about em!!!! lol
What a fun read! I appreciate slugs but I can't say I actually like them, especially these little ones. Now, the big ones that stretch out to 6 or 8 inches are quite beautiful, and prefer eating rotting leaves to my flowers..
Nice one mate. Do you know there was a guy on the news here last week who ate one as part of a drunken bet. The slug had apparently been snaking on rotting rat guts, and the guy is now on his death bed in hospital. What a way to go eh!
now this is an amazing capture--almost wanna pick the little critter up and play with it--uhm--almost...lol
OH MY, what an amusing reading here. I had such a good time reading about slugs and fruit flies and maggots. Chip you are amazing. If you saw my face right now, you would think I look foolish. And I love the capture too.
Oh Chip - I had such a good laugh now, which I really needed! The thought of out of control drunken fruit-flies had me in stitches!!! Excellent narrative and an equally excellent shot of the ball of Chicago snot!! hehe...
bonne photo!
I've always loved that word 'gastropod'. It's fun. Some words just sound cool.My favorite word is ' obsecquious'. The funniest word in the English language is 'rutebegga'. Put that one in ANY joke and people will laugh. What has any of this to do with your picture? Not a hell of a lot. I've drank about 40 oz of coffee at the Perfect Cup and am... I love this picture as I do all of your work. As you know I don't really share your enthusiasm for critters. Slugs have always looked like quivering dollops of packing greese with horns growing out of it. It's to your credit as a photographer that you always make these things fascinating to look at. Another great shot!
very beautiful! the slug seems a bit small, here those slugs are much bigger, or is it the lack of comparison with something else that gives the illusion?
They are kind of fascinating in a slimy sort of way. CC
a wonderful photo & info but slimey little critter