A Field Guide to the Snails of Lord Howe Island

145 Limax maximus Linnaeus, 1758 Leopard Slug Shell. Internal. Animal. Size: Length = 80-150 mm. Colour: Beige to light (rarely dark) brown, mantle shield with black spots and tail usually with black spots and/ or stripes; sole uniformly pale. Shape: Body large; mantle shield around one third of body length; last third of tail strongly keeled. Key distinguishing features. This is the largest slug on Lord Howe Island, and can be recognised by its pattern of discrete spots on the mantle shield, and spots and/or stripes on the body and tail. Habitat and occurrence. Limax maximus has been on Lord Howe Island since at least 1994, and is now widespread and common across the whole island. It is usually found in moist leaf litter. Remarks. Limax maximus has quite variable body colour, and some individuals can appear to be nearly unicoloured; however, the mantle shield always has at least a few spots and the foot sole is always uniformly pale. Limax maximus