A complete new species of slug has been discovered in Britain.
The white creature - dubbed "Ghost Slug" - was discovered in a garden in Caerphilly, Wales. This slug has sharp teeth and eats worms.
The only other places were similar creatures are found are Turkey and the eastern European nation of Georgia.
This new spcies has been given the scientific name Selenochlamys ysbryda. "Ysbryd" is the Welsh word for "ghost."
'Alien' killer slug with razor-sharp teeth slithering round gardens in the UK
By Niall Firth
11th July 2008
Daily Mail
Blind, deathly white and with a full set of razor-sharp teeth it is like a creature from a B movie horror film.
But for gardeners in Wales the albino ghost slug, which devours worms and sucks them up like spaghetti, is all too real.
The bizarre creature, which is similar to a species found lurking in caves in Turkey and Georgia, is completely white and has no eyes.
Creepy: The carnivorous Ghost Slug, which has just been discovered in Britain, sucks worms in 'like spaghetti'. Part of its scientific name is "ysbryda", which derives from the Welsh word for "ghost."
According to biologists, the slug has never been seen before in Western Europe, biologists say, and they are amazed that it has turned up in a garden in Caerphilly, north Wales.
Bill Symondson, an ecologist at Cardiff University, said: 'The lack of eyes and body colour could indicate the species evolved in a cave system.
'It was probably introduced to Britain in plant pots, making it an 'alien' species, although we can't be certain. We're concerned that it might become a pest, but we need to find out more about it first.'
Gardeners and garden centres are being urged to to inspect plants and pots to stop the slugs escaping and breeding.
There are fears it could hit the eco-system because it feeds on earthworms, which are vital for the well-being of soil.
A spokeswoman for the National Museum in Cardiff said it's a mystery how the slug got to Britain.
She added "Unlike most slugs, the ghost slug is carnivorous and kills earthworms at night with powerful, blade-like teeth, sucking them in like spaghetti.
'It has no eyes, is completely white, and lives underground, squeezing its flexible body into cracks to get at the worms.'
Ben Rowson, a biologist at the National Museum in Cardiff, said ' 'We had to thumb through lots of old publications in Russian and German to find anything like them" but then discovered they were something entirely new.They may well eat other slugs too.'
After examining the ghost slug biologists discovered that it is a completely new species.
They decided to name the creature Selenochlamys ysbryda, partly from the Welsh word ysbryd meaning ghost.
dailymail.co.uk
The white creature - dubbed "Ghost Slug" - was discovered in a garden in Caerphilly, Wales. This slug has sharp teeth and eats worms.
The only other places were similar creatures are found are Turkey and the eastern European nation of Georgia.
This new spcies has been given the scientific name Selenochlamys ysbryda. "Ysbryd" is the Welsh word for "ghost."
'Alien' killer slug with razor-sharp teeth slithering round gardens in the UK
By Niall Firth
11th July 2008
Daily Mail
Blind, deathly white and with a full set of razor-sharp teeth it is like a creature from a B movie horror film.
But for gardeners in Wales the albino ghost slug, which devours worms and sucks them up like spaghetti, is all too real.
The bizarre creature, which is similar to a species found lurking in caves in Turkey and Georgia, is completely white and has no eyes.
Creepy: The carnivorous Ghost Slug, which has just been discovered in Britain, sucks worms in 'like spaghetti'. Part of its scientific name is "ysbryda", which derives from the Welsh word for "ghost."
According to biologists, the slug has never been seen before in Western Europe, biologists say, and they are amazed that it has turned up in a garden in Caerphilly, north Wales.
Bill Symondson, an ecologist at Cardiff University, said: 'The lack of eyes and body colour could indicate the species evolved in a cave system.
'It was probably introduced to Britain in plant pots, making it an 'alien' species, although we can't be certain. We're concerned that it might become a pest, but we need to find out more about it first.'
Gardeners and garden centres are being urged to to inspect plants and pots to stop the slugs escaping and breeding.
There are fears it could hit the eco-system because it feeds on earthworms, which are vital for the well-being of soil.
A spokeswoman for the National Museum in Cardiff said it's a mystery how the slug got to Britain.
She added "Unlike most slugs, the ghost slug is carnivorous and kills earthworms at night with powerful, blade-like teeth, sucking them in like spaghetti.
'It has no eyes, is completely white, and lives underground, squeezing its flexible body into cracks to get at the worms.'
Ben Rowson, a biologist at the National Museum in Cardiff, said ' 'We had to thumb through lots of old publications in Russian and German to find anything like them" but then discovered they were something entirely new.They may well eat other slugs too.'
After examining the ghost slug biologists discovered that it is a completely new species.
They decided to name the creature Selenochlamys ysbryda, partly from the Welsh word ysbryd meaning ghost.
dailymail.co.uk
