Slugs are small, thin-bodied, and slow-moving. They are often mistaken for snails, but they do not have shells, and their bodies are more elongated than snails. Slugs have a variety of predators including birds, dogs, cats, frogs, lizards, snakes, raccoons, and other mammals. Some species will eat other slugs if they are hungry enough.
Slugs are also a favorite food of beetles, grasshoppers, wasps, and ants. Slugs are herbivores and feed primarily on decaying organic matter such as leaves, stems, flowers, fruits, and seeds. Slugs use their tongues to scrape the surface of plant material, removing small particles. They do not chew, but instead swallow their food whole.