Slugs have a thin and slimy skin that is highly sensitive to salt. When salt is poured over a slug, it causes it to dehydrate and die due to the excessive loss of water. Saving a salted slug is a challenging task, but it can be done by acting quickly.
Firstly, the salt must be removed from the slug immediately to stop further dehydration. You can achieve this by gently picking the slug from the salted area and placing it on a paper towel or any dry surface, away from the reach of sunlight and heat.
Next, rehydrate the slug by using a syringe filled with water or any non-toxic liquid and gently spray a few drops of the liquid over the slug. You can repeat this process every few minutes until the slug appears to become more active and regain its normal reactivity.
It is crucial to keep the slug in a cool and moist environment after rehydration, preferably in a container filled with damp soil, moss, or paper towels. You should also provide them with food, which can be leaves of vegetables, protein-rich foods, or commercial slug food.
Salt is harmful to slugs and it is essential to avoid exposing them to it. If you, by mistake, pour salt on a slug, a quick action can save its life. However, it is always better to prevent such incidents by taking necessary measures to keep slugs away from salt and other harmful substances.
Why do slugs scream?
Slugs do not have vocal cords or lungs like humans or other animals, so they are incapable of making any kind of vocal sound. Therefore, the perception of slugs screaming is a misconception and not an accurate representation of their behavior.
However, slugs can produce sounds through different mechanisms such as their movement and feeding behaviors. As they move, slugs may make a soft rustling or sliding sound as their muscular foot glides over surfaces. When feeding on plants, they may also produce a munching or crunching sound as they tear and chew the leaves.
It is also worth noting that when slugs are handled or threatened, they may produce a slime-like substance as a defense mechanism. This mucus secretion can create a popping or bubbling noise as air is pushed through the liquid. However, this is not a scream, but rather a byproduct of their self-defense mechanism.
Therefore, to sum it up, slugs do not scream. They may produce sounds through their movement, feeding, or defense mechanisms, but these sounds are not vocalizations in the sense of screams.