Many animals, including insects, small creatures, frogs, birds, and snakes consider slugs a regular part of their diet, even though they may not be the preferred meal for humans. Let’s explore the various creatures that consume slugs.
Slugs lack a protective shell, making them an easy target for many small mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles who consider them a preferred meal due to their vulnerability. These creatures rely on slugs as a significant source of calcium and protein.
What Eats Slugs?
Slugs tend to frequent areas near plants, trees, ponds, piles of stones and leaves, and hedges where any creature that is omnivorous or carnivorous and inhabits these places may occasionally feast on a slug.
What Insects Eat Slugs?
Although they are considered tiny, some insects enjoy consuming slimy slugs.
Beetles
At the base of the food chain with numerous animals that consume them, beetles can still feed on living creatures themselves. Beetles come in all shapes and sizes, from the beautiful little ladybugs to the hefty rhino beetle. Not all beetles eat slugs, but the common ground beetle is known to be a predator of slugs.
Slugs are not only consumed by ground beetles, but their young ones also consider them as an essential food source for their development. Although some beetles can be harmful to your garden, not all of them are damaging and they can be beneficial in eliminating troublesome slugs.
Fireflies
It may come as a shock, but fireflies are meat-eaters and slugs are one of their primary targets, particularly during the larval stage. Fireflies typically capture their prey by administering a paralyzing substance into the slug.
What Birds Eat Slugs?
There are numerous types of birds that consume a diverse range of food, which may consist of fruits, nuts, and small organisms such as slugs.
Songbirds
Slugs and other insects living in the upper canopies of trees provide a delicious and nutritious snack for songbirds during their annual migration from Canada to Central America, which is crucial for their proper nutrition.
Blackbirds
These birds belonging to the thrush family are capable of consuming a variety of foods, including earthworms, berries, seeds, and slugs.
Ducks
You may not have realized it unless you own pet ducks, but they are one of the most proficient creatures when it comes to locating and consuming Slugs. These feathery birds are so adept at finding Slugs while still being incredibly gentle with plants, making them a favorite among farmers and avid gardeners who want to keep the Slug population in check without using hazardous pesticides on their plants and vegetables.
Slug-eating creatures are most active in damp environments, meaning that they tend to search for their prey during rainy weather.
What Reptiles Eat Slugs?
Although reptiles may appear to prefer bigger prey, some of them take pleasure in consuming one or two slugs.
Turtles
Slugs are highly preferred by turtles as they are opportunistic omnivores and will consume anything available, but slugs are a particular favorite due to their high protein content. While hatchlings primarily feed on invertebrates such as slugs, adult turtles tend to consume more vegetation.
Snakes
While slugs are not typically a common prey for snakes, Garter snakes have been observed consuming them, despite their usual diet consisting of smaller creatures such as mice and frogs. These snakes can be found in both urban and rural gardens.
Lizards
Slugs are a favorite food of many lizards, including Slow worms, which resemble snakes but are actually legless lizards and have a strong affinity for these nutritious creatures.
Which Amphibians Eat Slugs?
Slugs are a crucial part of the diet for amphibians, as they also thrive in moist and humid environments.
Frogs
Frogs utilize their lengthy adhesive tongues to capture their prey, and one of their most beloved sources of nourishment originates from Slugs. These slimy creatures make up a huge portion of a frog’s diet. You’ll typically observe them munching on Slugs near ponds and other bodies of water. Despite their questionable eating habits, frogs can also be great pets.
Newts
The diet of a newt is greatly influenced by its habitat, with slugs being a significant component of their food when they are on land, in addition to insects and worms.
Toads
Toads share more than just physical similarities with frogs, as they also consume slugs as a significant part of their diet. Nevertheless, compared to an average frog, a toad has a much larger appetite.
What Eats Slugs In The Small Mammal World?
There are numerous small creatures that enjoy consuming slugs, and these mollusks constitute a significant portion of their food intake.
Hedgehogs
Slug predators, hedgehogs are tiny creatures with stumpy legs that keep their body low to the ground and are recognized for their distinct pointy quills that encircle their curved spine.
Slugs are easily found by hedgehogs, making them an effective form of natural pest control in gardens. Despite being unexpected, hedgehogs have a fondness for eating slugs, and they can even be kept as pets.
Shrews
The slug-eating shrew is naturally very voracious and requires consuming 80-90% of its body mass to sustain itself, and it frequently feeds on slugs to meet this daily target. The sluggish movement of slugs is one of the reasons why shrews prefer to hunt them.
Mice
One of the mouse’s favorite snacks is the slug. You may think of a small mouse munching on various seeds and vegetation, but don’t be shocked if they also take out some pesky slugs.
Rats
Rats are notoriously active, intelligent and friendly rodents, similar in size to mice. They have a reputation for consuming almost anything they can get their paws on, so it’s no shock that they also eat Slugs.
Slug predators are quick to seize the opportunity presented by the sluggish movement and absence of a protective covering of their prey.
Squirrels
Yes, squirrels are fond of munching on nuts, but did you know that they are omnivores and also enjoy Slugs as snacks? Unfortunately for squirrels, like other creatures, consuming Slugs carries the risk of getting a lungworm parasite. Keeping pet squirrels is best done without these slimy treats.
Moles
Slugs are a favorite food of moles, who often encounter these tasty creatures while burrowing underground, making the sluggish slugs an ideal target for the mole’s omnivorous diet.
Bigger Animals That Eat Slugs
Many people are unaware that certain larger animals often consume slugs as a dietary supplement, and here we will examine some of these creatures.
Foxes
Despite their size, foxes have a varied diet and are omnivorous, so they may sometimes consume slugs along with other food sources.
Opossums
Slugs are a preferred food item in the diet of opossums, who survive by consuming both plant-based foods and small animals due to their omnivorous nature.
Are Slugs Safe To Eat?
While many animals can safely consume slugs, certain ones may carry a lungworm parasite that can be transmitted to the predator. As a preventive measure, it is crucial to ensure that dogs and cats do not ingest them since they are highly vulnerable to this parasite.
What Eats Slugs?
Several animal species consume slugs due to their high protein and calcium content. As slugs are known for damaging flower and vegetable gardens, creatures that feed on them should be embraced by those who value their garden’s aesthetics.
You can also check this YouTube video about this topic:
[Wikipedia] [Encyclopedia Britannica] [National Geographic] [cdc.gov] [Purina]