Slugs of Maryland: Biodiversity and Biology

Slow, simple, and slimy may be the first words that come to mid when you think of slugs, but think again. These mucus covered invertebrates can crawl on a razor blade or knife edge without a cut. Slugs, which are related the octopus, can be friend or foe. They provide valuable ecosystem services but the wrong species in the wrong place can destroy agricultural crops. Learn about the natural history of these gastropods, how they differ from their cousins the snails, and what species, both native and introduced you may find in Maryland.

Aydin Orstan, a native of Turkey, has a Ph.D. in chemistry, but his first love is natural history. Aydin retired 3 years ago from a rather boring government job to spend the rest of my long life to study snails and rotifers. He is a research associate of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh. Link to research:

Megan Paustian, who received her Ph.D. from the U of Md with a thesis on slugs, will contribute to the preparation.