On the subject of gastropods drooping their stalk eyes, it seems that the meaning of the drooping is the opposite of what one would expect. I've kept large slugs as pets, and when they are active their eye stalks are held straight. When they're resting (sleeping, perhaps), they often have one eye just barely poking out from under their mantle so that they are not completely oblivious to their surroundings. However, when they discover food like a slice of cucumber and proceed to devour it, something strange happens. Over the course of several minutes during feeding, the slug's eyes droop more and more and eventually recede into the slug's head. I don't know why they do this, but I like to imagine that they are blinded by bliss. If nature documentary footage is any indication, their eyes also droop when they are mating...
September 04, 2009
jenjen said...
Well it would seem to me they want to get a look at what they're eating so they'd have to look down. No?
Hohoho!!! The pic is hilarious! Look at the snail, he looks almost like he was saying: "dude, seriously, you expect me to eat that?"
December 23, 2009
My kids are big fans of Cheerios. When I present them with a fresh bowl of them, their eye stalks don't droop in disappointment like the Giant African Land Snail below.
This snail could learn a lesson or two (and a handy resistance to salt) from my kids. Ingrate.
[Image]
posted by Raging Wombat at 12:03 PM on Sep 1, 2009
7 Comments
Close this window Jump to comment formHe prefers the Honey Nut variety. Can you blame him?
September 04, 2009
lol... dude is that your snail pet?
September 04, 2009
This snail is utterly adorable!
On the subject of gastropods drooping their stalk eyes, it seems that the meaning of the drooping is the opposite of what one would expect. I've kept large slugs as pets, and when they are active their eye stalks are held straight. When they're resting (sleeping, perhaps), they often have one eye just barely poking out from under their mantle so that they are not completely oblivious to their surroundings. However, when they discover food like a slice of cucumber and proceed to devour it, something strange happens. Over the course of several minutes during feeding, the slug's eyes droop more and more and eventually recede into the slug's head. I don't know why they do this, but I like to imagine that they are blinded by bliss. If nature documentary footage is any indication, their eyes also droop when they are mating...
September 04, 2009
Well it would seem to me they want to get a look at what they're eating so they'd have to look down. No?
September 04, 2009
I don't know what the snail is doing but I have soda coming out of my nose from laughing at the narrative.
September 05, 2009
I'm sorry, Jamie. Soda out the nose can be painful. But it also clears the sinuses, so it's not necessarily a bad thing.
September 05, 2009
Hohoho!!! The pic is hilarious! Look at the snail, he looks almost like he was saying: "dude, seriously, you expect me to eat that?"
December 23, 2009