the essentials in brief
- Of the Tiger snails or Tiger snail looks like a nudibranch, but is a snail-eating beneficial insect in the garden.
- Characteristic is the stain drawing that gives it its name, by which the species can be easily recognized.
- Tiger snails are nocturnal and can therefore only be spotted very rarely. They are omnivores and also feed on dead plant material, carrion, algae and fungi.
- You can buy the animals in specialist shops - for example at a special snail farm - and relocate them specifically in the garden. However, they are not suitable as the sole measure against Nudibranchs.
The tiger snail - a voracious beneficial insect in the garden
Tiger snails only eat dead plant parts, carrion and pests
Whoever sees the tiger snail - or tiger snail - for the first time will probably first classify it as a nudibranch and thus as a pest. The opposite is the case, because the mollusc with the characteristic appearance is indeed with the familiar
Slugs related, but also likes to eat them. The animals are very effective and even hunt specimens that are larger than themselves. Tiger snails also like to eat- mushrooms
- dead plant parts
- Carrion
- Snail eggs
also read
- Tiger snails - life in secret
- Useful plants for insects
- Useful tips for raking leaves
Tiger snails, on the other hand, rarely go to fresh green. The animals have a high protein requirement, especially when they are young, and only reach sexual maturity when they can meet their needs. For experimental purposes, young tiger snails fed purely vegetarian were all soon received.
So it is a good idea to bring a few tiger snails into the garden against the nudibranch plague. For this purpose, you can collect the animals in forests and parks or buy them from specialized dealers.
Digression
Is the tiger snail poisonous?
Recognize the tiger snail and distinguish it from other species
“Tiger snail eats snail - have you seen that before? These mollusks prefer to eat other slugs and are therefore very useful. "
As a rule, tiger slugs can be easily distinguished from other nudibranchs due to their characteristic appearance. The species bears its name for a reason, after all, the light body is adorned with a striking pattern with black spots and stripes. In contrast to the name, this is more reminiscent of the typical leopard pattern.
The tiger snail in the profile:
- Latin name: Limax maximus
- Alternative names: Tiger snail, large snail, large leech snail
- origin: originally southern Europe
- distribution: almost worldwide in moderate climates, often in Europe
- Occurrence: humid and rather warm living spaces, needs moisture for breathing
- size: adult animals average 13 centimeters, up to 20 centimeters possible
- coloring: different, mostly light brown, light gray or yellowish, underside cream colored
- Muster: black or brown spots that can condense into real stripes
The tiger snail originally comes from southern Europe
In addition to these, however, there are also spotless, single-colored, dark and white varieties, which are, however, very rare. The latter are tiger snails with albinism. Another typical feature of the tiger snail is the conical body, which is tightly rounded at the rear edge. The mantle shield covers about a third of the body length, with a special feature here: tiger snails have an approximately 13 to 15 millimeter long, chalky label, which is the evolutionary remnant of a housing acts.
To make it easier for you to distinguish it from other nudibranchs, we have put together an overview for you at this point.
| Black slug | Spanish slug | Wetting field slug | Gray field slug | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Latin name | Arion ater | Arion vulgaris | Deroceas reticulatum | Deroceras agreste |
| Alternative names | Great Black Slug, Great Black Slug | Red slug, large slug, nasturtium | no | Single-colored field slug |
| size | 10 to 13 centimeters | 7 to 12 centimeters | 4 to 6 centimeters | 3 to 4 centimeters |
| coloring | deep black with a dark sole | different, mostly reddish to light brown | different, mostly light brown to cream colored | different, mostly light gray |
| Muster | none, monochrome | none, monochrome | darkly spotted, reticulate | no |
| Alternative colors | rarely dark brown or gray | also dark brown to black specimens | also dark brown to slate gray, sometimes the mesh pattern is missing | yellowish to dark brown colors are also possible |
One thing all nudibranchs have in common is that they all need a rather damp habitat with numerous hiding spots in order to survive.
Way of life and reproduction
Tiger snails are nocturnal and prefer to come out of their hiding place around midnight. This means that you will rarely see the animals - after all, they hide during the day and only hunt at night. You can Snail hunter So already have it in your garden and don't know anything about it.
The animals are hermaphroditic, so they have both male and female sexual characteristics. When mating, two individuals exchange their seed packets and thus fertilize each other. However, self-fertilization has already been observed in captured specimens, so these slugs are not dependent on a partner for reproduction.
Egg laying and young animal development
A single snail can lay up to 1000 eggs
The subsequent laying period lasts for almost a year, in which a single snail lays up to four clutches of between 100 and 300 eggs each. The first egg-laying usually takes place between July and August of the first year, the second, however, not until June or July of the following year. The eggs are quite small with an average size of four to five millimeters. The small, still white and inconspicuous tiger snails hatch after about 19 to 25 days, i.e. about three weeks. They gradually darken in the course of their development and develop the typical pattern up to sexual maturity with approx. a year and a half. The first spots and streaks appear about a week after hatching.
Tiger drumsticks are approx. two and a half to three years old, provided they have not previously fallen victim to a predator or disease. The clutches are also very susceptible to parasites and predators such as beetles, nematodes and mites. Therefore, tiger snails only hatch from a few eggs. However, you can specifically increase the rate of reproduction by breeding in the terrarium and thus ensure plenty of offspring for your own garden.
Digression
The unusual behavior when mating
This is how you settle the tiger snail in the garden
In suitable habitats, tiger snails are true to their location and form real colonies over time. So that you can settle and keep the animals in your garden, it is important to set up suitable shelters. The nocturnal animals withdraw into these during the day. Ideal for this purpose are:
- moist, shady spots under bushes and other woody plants
- Pile up hollow bricks and old wooden boards here
- shower them with leaves and brushwood
Since the animals are always around five to ten meters around the roost, you should keep the shelter as close as possible to endangered beds or beds. create centrally in the kitchen garden. It is also useful to create several “nests” in order to cover larger areas. Offer the tiger snails good living conditions - in other words, a naturally cultivated garden sufficient damp rooms - then they reproduce well and form a stable population over time. You can also feed newly settled specimens, for which they should use protein-rich foods. These include, for example, mushrooms such as mushrooms from the supermarket, which you cut into slices and distribute at the dwelling.
Tips
To establish tiger snails in the garden, you should avoid slug pellets. This kills not only the slugs, but also the useful snails.
This article shows what else can help against voracious nudibranchs in the garden.
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Can you also buy the tiger snail?
If you want to establish the tiger's leg in your garden, you can buy the animals in specialized online shops or from specialist dealers. The best time to do this starts in spring, when it gets warmer outside and frosty nights are less likely. Depending on the region, you can purchase the Schnegel between mid-March and mid-April as well as into October and put it in the garden right away. The cold-blooded animals spend the winter well hidden under piles of leaves, in compost or in rotten wood.
However, it takes a lot of patience, especially if you have tons of nudibranchs in your garden. In order to combat these effectively with the help of tiger snails, you would also need a large number of them. However, you cannot buy all of them, but acquire some of the animals, which then gradually multiply thanks to your careful care and maintenance. However, it may take a few years until a snail-effective population has grown out of this. In addition, factors that you cannot influence (such as the weather) can have a decimating or beneficial effect on your tiger snail population.
In any case, tiger snails are not the only snail fighters, as the omnivores also eat other foods and do not constantly hunt other species. For effective control, you should therefore rely on a mix of tiger snails, other predators and other, of course, non-toxic measures.
Tiger snail in the aquarium?
The tiger snail described in this article is a garden dweller and does not feel particularly comfortable in an aquarium filled with water (regardless of whether it is fresh or marine water). On the contrary, the country dweller would simply drown there. However, some aquatic predatory snails are also known as tiger snails due to their strikingly colored shell. However, the correct name is Clea helena. Sometimes these animals are also available in stores under the names Raubturmdeckelschnecke or Helene.
frequently asked Questions
Can you confuse the tiger snail?
Basically, it is not possible to confuse the "normally" colored tiger snails with other slugs. The differentiation is problematic only with the rare dark monochrome colored individuals, which can sometimes look very similar to the black slug (Arion ater). A differentiation is possible through the sole, which is usually light in tiger snails and dark in the case of slugs. At the latest when you place a suspected black tiger snail next to another nudibranch, you can get an exact one Make a distinction - sooner or later the tiger snail will nibble on its conspecifics, the slug - since it is a vegetarian - however not.
It is also possible to confuse it with the nudibranch, because this type of slug is also light-colored brown to grayish in color and has a characteristic net pattern - sometimes you have to be very precise look.
Does the tiger snail have natural enemies?
The tiger snail has many enemies
Although the tiger snail is one of the natural enemies of other nudibranchs, it is not itself safe from predators. Many birds and mammals such as hedgehogs and shrews, but also frogs, toads, blindworms, lizards and snakes enjoy the large and easy-to-catch snails. In addition, insects and parasites such as mushrooms can be dangerous to the eggs.
How can I still fight the Spanish slug?
The best remedy for voracious slugs such as the black slug and the Spanish slug is still one for all sorts Beneficial organisms such as songbirds, blackbirds, crows, magpies as well as hedgehogs, shrews, ground beetles, frogs, toads and slow worms are designed to be inviting Natural garden. You can also protect garden beds with particularly endangered plants by taking suitable safety measures. These include a snail fence or that Mulching of the ground with coarse material, for example straw or chopped bark. Even in a raised bed, plants are usually quite safely housed.
Does the tiger snail actually also eat snails with a shell?
In general, the tiger snail mainly hunts other nudibranchs. Shell snails such as the garden tapestry or even the large Roman snails are usually of no interest - after all, they can they quickly retreat to their little house and are at least protected from predatory relatives (but not from birds, hedgehogs and Co.) secure. Only when these animals are dead do they become interesting for the scavenging snail.
Tips
Incidentally, the Roman snail likes to eat the eggs of nudibranchs, which is why they are also welcome in the garden. In any case, shell snails do little damage to beds and plants - in contrast to shell-less slugs.
