Slug Minibeast Adventure with Jess

Hello adventurers, I'm Jess. It's time for an mini beast adventure!

# Feelers out, what's about?

# Creeping, sleeping, under stones here and there

# Nesting, resting, mini beasts are everywhere

# Mini beasts are everywhere

# Look and listen, stop and stare

# Mini beasts are everywhere, a mini beast adventure

# Feelers out, what's about?

# Mini beasts are everywhere

# Look and listen, stop and stare

# Mini worlds for us to share a mini beasts adventure

# With Jess! #

Welcome to my tree house. Today we're going on at slug adventure.

Slugs are really common in this country but sadly,

they're not very popular.

Especially in gardens, as they like to feed on new plants as they grow

and cobble them all up.

But I think they're amazing.

Take a look at these ones in here.

Here's one, can you see how many feet it has?

It doesn't look as if it has any, does it?

Actually, that was a trick question.

Slugs have one foot because their whole body is a foot.

Can you see how it moves its foot in waves to get along?

Slugs have four tentacles.

The short two are for feeling, tasting and smelling.

The longer two are eye stalks, but they can't see very well.

Slugs are very similar to snails, except of course,

they don't have a shell.

Or do they?

Have a close look at this one's back.

Can you see that kind of saddle shape behind its tentacles?

That's called the mantle.

It's the part that would grow into a shell if it were a snail.

All slugs have a mantle. If you look carefully, you can see it.

Now, you might think it would be better to be like a snail

and have a home on your back like this one.

But of course, when it comes to squeezing into small spaces,

it's much easier if you don't have a shell on your back.

Slugs can make themselves really thin which is helpful on hot days

when they need to find damp, dark places to hide in.

There's sure to be a slug hiding near you. Shall we go and find one?

Come on!

Whatever the weather, we're off together on a mini beast adventure!

Hello Judy! How are you?

I'm fine, how are you?

Good, thank you.

-Nice to see you.

-Yeah.

-Today we're going on a slug adventure.

-Yeah.

Where could we find a slug?

Em, in there.

-Over there?

-Yeah.

-Shall we go and find some?

-Yeah.

-Get your feelers ready.

Feelers out, what's about?

We're off on a mini beast adventure!

Do you think there's any slugs down here?

-Hello Caoimhe!

-Hi!

Judith's friend, Caoimhe, has come to join our slug adventure.

-Shall we have a look at the rest of the garden?

-Yes.

Can you see anything around here?

A spider. It's a spider!

-Oh, it looks like a spider, doesn't it? But it's not a spider.

-No.

-It's called a harvestman. Do you want to look at that, Caoimhe?

-Yes.

Is it a friendly harvestman?

-It is a very friendly harvestman, would you like to hold it?

-No.

-Would you like to hold it?

-He might make a spider's web on me.

They can't make spider's webs. Do you want to try holding it?

-They can't hurt you.

-I want to hold it.

Go on then, Caoimhe, put your hand out. Come on little one!

-They can't hurt you.

-No, they can't hurt you, you're right.

It was living over there, wasn't it, so shall we put it back over there?

-Oh, you did it, well done! Bye, harvestman.

-Bye!

-Bye!

Oh, wow, look at this!

This is a bright orange slug.

-Do you want to touch it?

-No.

-Go on, touch it, go on.

It won't hurt you.

-Oh, slime.

-Slime!

-SHE WHISPERS:

-Maybe he's taking a nap.

-I think it is taking a nap.

-Or, I can see one feeler.

-Would you like to hold it?

-Yes.

-It's all slimy.

-It is slimy, isn't it?

Look at the patterns on its back.

-What's that?

-Slime.

Slime, it has left a slime trail, hasn't it?

-It looks like a sad face.

-It looks sad?

-Why do you think the slug is sad?

-Because he wants to go back home.

-Do you want to put it back home?

-Yes.

-OK.

Put it home.

-Bye!

-Bye!

You can squeeze through small spaces

but the size of your bones stops you

from squeezing through really narrow gaps.

The slug doesn't have any bones so it can make itself long and thin.

It can squeeze through the tiniest of gaps.

Some people think slugs are very slow but actually,

they can move really fast when they want to.

We're going to have a look at how slugs move today. Look at this bit.

-That is the slug's foot. Its whole body is a foot.

-Yeah.

Can you imagine if your foot was your whole body!

-Which one do you think will be faster?

-Me.

-That one!

The little one? The big one? Oh, the big one is off already.

Judith has put it down. Let's put the little one on.

Can you see the tentacles at the front? Feeling where they go.

Oh!

Yes, for breathing!

-Big and small.

-Yes, it goes big and small.

Where do you breathe?

-Nose!

-They use holes in their back!

Wow, the big one is so fast, isn't it? Come on, little slug!

The big one has nearly made it to the edge.

Oh, the big one is the fastest.

Finished!

Oh, it's coming to the edge. Yes!

It made it to the edge.

The little slug took a short cut.

I loved that mini beast adventure.

Those slugs were really fast, weren't they?

Maybe you could go on a slug adventure, too.

Look in cool, damp places where they might be hiding.

You might need a grown-up adventurer to lift things up

so you can look underneath.

Feelers out, what's about?

Happy hunting, adventurers!