Tiger snails: The big cat snail is the jackpot for the garden

I planted a bed last year and quickly became annoyed by the many slugs that feasted on the young leaves. I'm already excited to see how the 2025 gardening season will turn out.

The worst offender in my garden is the Spanish slug, with its distinctive rusty red color. Hardly any plant is safe from it. I have also spotted the brown-gray garden slug in my beds.

But not all slugs are on my wanted list. I even welcome a copy with open arms (and you should too this year). Well, not quite. But at least I'll let them have their way.

We're talking about the tiger snail. A species of slug that you would expect to find in tropical rainforests due to its striking pattern. At least I was very surprised when I discovered them in the bed. And I was even more amazed when I saw how the useful animals mate.

What does the tiger snail look like?

The tiger snail competes with big cats with its markings. The dark spots on the front part of the body are reminiscent of a leopard pattern, while the back part of the body has tiger stripes. The rest of the body is beige to brown.

But it's not just the drawing of the slug that is impressive. Also their body length. The tiger snail, scientifically calledThe biggest slugknown, is one of the large species of slugs and can (brace yourself) grow up to 20 centimeters!

Even if the tiger snail looks exotic, it is native to Europe. In Berlin andBrandenburgThe flamboyant snail is threatened and is on the red list.

Why are tiger snails an asset to the garden?

In addition to dead plant material and fungi, tabby slugs prefer to feed on other species of snails. They particularly like to eat other young slugs.

Practical! Tiger snails finish them off before they can help themselves to the bed buffet. An environmentally friendly alternative to slug pellets. And best of all: tiger snails work for us without us having to do anything.

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But it's not just its hunt for other slugs that makes the tiger snail a welcome garden guest. It also feeds on dead organic matter and fungi, helping to break down and compost, improving soil quality. A valuable helper in the cycle of nature.

The exciting sex life of tiger snails

The tiger snail likes it extravagant. This doesn't just show his pattern. The local slug species also literally takes things to extremes when it comes to sex. The mating ritual of tiger snails is spectacular. And it goes like this:

When snails wanting to mate meet, they move to an elevated position and begin to crawl around each other in a circle for hours - head to tail.

All the while, they excrete large amounts of clumpy mucus that collects between them. The snails tighten their embrace, increasingly devouring and twisting as they bob their heads back and forth.

In this process, they trust each other blindly: both produce a thread of slime at the rear end, which, tightly wrapped around it, they abseil down to a depth of up to 40 centimeters. Fertilization therefore usually takes place in the air.

After mating, their paths part dramatically: one snail falls to the ground while the other crawls up the mucous thread. The transferred sperm remains capable of fertilization for months. Crazy, right?

You notice: the tiger snail is anything but an ordinary slug.

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