Laevicaulis alte
Laevicaulis alte, the tropical leatherleaf, is a species of tropical land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Veronicellidae, the leatherleaf slugs. Description. "Laevicaulis alte" is a round, dark-coloured slug with no shell, 7 or 8 cm long. Its skin is slightly tuberculated. The central keel is beige in colour. This slug has a unique, very narrow foot; juvenile specimens have a foot 1 mm wide and adult specimens have a foot that is only 4 or 5 mm wide. The tentacles are small, 2 or 3 mm long, and they are only rarely extended  beyond the edge of the mantle. Parasites. This slug is an intermediate host for "Angiostrongylus cantonensis", the rat lungworm, a round worm, the most common cause of eosinophilic meningoencephalitis. Predators. This slug is eaten by the frog "Rana tigrina". Distribution. This species is probably indigenous to Africa (western Africa and eastern Africa). It has been introduced and become an invasive species in the following areas: This species is already established in the USA, and is considered to represent a potentially serious threat as a pest, an invasive species which could negatively affect agriculture, natural ecosystems, human health or commerce. Therefore , it has been suggested that this species be given top national quarantine significance in the USA. Habitat. This species lives in dry areas, mostly at lower altitudes. Feeding habits. What this slug eats in the wild is not known. In captivity this slug will eat: In captivity it will not eat: Life cycle. This slug hatches from eggs. This species has several adaptations for living in dry conditions: a rounded shape with as small as possible surface area, and a narrow foot to reduce evaporation. Juvenile specimens search for food nearly always at night, and stay buried in the soil  during the day. Larger specimens are active during the day sometimes. This slug can grow up from 0.5 cm to approximately 4 cm in length in 7 months. Images: External links. Genome: