My wife discovered this bad boy out on the terrace this morning. “Honey, come outside and tell me if this is a rubber slug, because it sure didn’t feel like rubber when I grabbed it,” she said.

We have been playing with rubber slugs lately.

Her theory is that this guy is a result of my experimentation with beer and slugs earlier this summer. So I may have to update my findings. Or at least include beer-induced gigantism among garden slugs among the potential effects examined in next year’s expanded study.

It’s really quite a beautiful specimen. Nearly a foot long – I say nearly a foot long, I can say that, as we are dealing with imprecise science here. Nearly a foot long, and fast. It tried to attack my camera when I was taking pictures of it this morning. I am guessing it got into the Heinekken and Red Bull.

Beautiful pattern. I am from the Pacific Northwest, and I have never seen a slug larger or more beautiful than this one. Here is a full-body shot: