Slugs...

[Goodsoulette]

Its flipping cold outside and there was a slug crawling across the path and I thought to myself, how cold would it have to be for a slug to freeze.

So how cold would it have to be?

and if you froze it solid, would it kill it? or would it thaw out Tom Cruise stylee and be ready to start a new and happy life?

[Ice-Maiden]

Never thought of how long it'd take a slug to freeze, but I know we have some whoppers on the pathways round the house. To my horror, I trod on one last night........there was a sickly crunch, so maybe I'd got a frozen one!

[China Doll]

This paper reports results of laboratory experiments to evaluate the cold hardiness of the terrestrial slug, Deroceras reticulatum . The mean supercooling point (SCP) rose from -4.2� C in summer to -3.6�C in winter. The SCP that caused 50% mortality (LSCP50 ) remained constant at -4.7 to -4.8�C in both seasons, but slugs were able to survive the frozen state for longer in winter (LD50 of 31.8 minutes compared with 17.0 minutes in summer). Slug survival at freezing temperatures was prolonged to at least five hours when placed on a moist, absorbent substrate. D. reticulatum exhibits partial freeze tolerance, with an increased survival in winter. The results are discussed in relation to the slugs' natural environment.

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cryo/cry o/2004/00000025/00000003/art00005

Well that's what google said when I entered 'frozen slugs' anyway! ;0)

[eyebrows]

have you ever salted one, thast fun......fun, its like acid rain.......hehe

[Goodsoulette]

I cant remember what I gogled last night but all I got was stuff about guns.

Thanks CD! I was hoping that they sort of went into stasis . Just thinking about slugs makes me feel a bit sick, yet I like snails.

[rojash]

China Doll, that's interesting stuff on terrestrial slugs - did you find anything on extraterrestrial slugs?

[China Doll]

Nah... just worm holes.