Slug and Snail Study

This month, one of the challenges listed in the newsletter section of the Handbook of Nature Study, was a snail study.

My children and I studied slugs on April 10, 2012. The thing is, the kids all were totally engrossed in the lesson. For this month, we re-read the information in the HANDBOOK OF NATURE STUDY. We brought another slug inside and studied it again, looking for all the parts listed in the book.

We found what gardeners call a "banana slug" and studied for a moment before we had to leave for our latest nature walk. It was huge. The foot on that thing was quite obvious. (Edited because I found out that this is not a banana slug, but a "great gray slug" that can reach 4 to 8 inches on maturity. There are banana slugs, but they are found in the Pacific Northwest, and are yellow with brown spots, like an overripe banana.)

We really were in a hurry, so we didn't have enough time to study it correctly, so we put it in a jar to study later. Unfortunately, it died in the jar before we returned home.

The kids were still enamored with slugs and snails. They were still studying them carefully every time we walked out the door, so I gathered several slugs and snails. I added some green bean leaves and a few drips of water. I put all this into our glass jar we always use to observe insects. And I set it on the table where we do our school work.

For several days now, we have had the privilege of observing these snails and slugs. They have been very interesting to watch. The children are still interested in these creatures, so I guess we will continue to observe them until either the snails and slugs die or the children lose interest.

I am submitting this entry into the Handbook of Nature Study Blog's Outdoor Nature Hour.