I’ve been thinking about that question from yesterday: “How do you know when it’s love?” (Which I then translated to: What is love?)
Yesterday I went to my friend Rhonda’s house, to take some pictures of her and her family which they wanted for part of a present for Rhonda’s sister-in-law’s birthday.
I have to say that when I arrived the LOVE thang was bursting at the seams, and I realised – taking the pictures – that there are many different kinds of love.
FAMILY LOVE
MOTHER AND DAUGHTER LOVE
FATHER AND SON LOVE
HUSBAND AND WIFE LOVE
FRIEND LOVE
(Two packs of icing, a few glasses of wine and several swear words later….)
SISTER-IN-LAW LOVE
Content with my photos and certain I knew a little more about what LOVE actually is, I went to sleep (with Rhonda’s feet up my nose which is definitely NOT love.) When I woke up in the early hours of this morning and ventured into their garden for a breath of fresh air (ok a fag), I really didn’t think I’d be witnessing any other forms of love. Surely this house had enough of it already? And that’s when I came across this:
SLUG LOVE
Ewwww!
Of course, I had to do some research when I got home, and this is what I discovered:
Although slugs are hermaphroditic (each animal equipped with both male and female reproductive organs) they mate with themselves only if no other slugs are around.
(Does that sound familiar? Hehehe!)
Given a choice, they seek partners with whom to trade genetic material, a move that, by favoring the passage of chromosomes from both parents to the offspring, nurtures a healthier pool of slug genes.
Makes sense…
The actual exchange of sperm is preceeded by an elaborate courtship ritual, which supposedly reduces the chance of two individuals of separate species mating and giving rise to hybrids.
Hmmm. Ok.
During courtship, two slugs will circle each other … with both partners engaged in ritualized bouts of lunging, nipping, and sideswiping with their tails. The two slugs may also display their disproportionately large sex organs. The great grey garden slug’s penis is nearly half its total body length.
WTF? (Can you see that white stuff in the picture? That there is slug cock!)
As courtship progresses, a slug pair intertwines … stimulating each other for several more hours.
Lucky b*****ds
Their genital areas swell (niiiiice) as the pair move even closer together. Penetration takes place, then each slug alternately releases and receives sperm.
Now, THAT is LOVE!
Now the slugs must disengage — a challenge for two animals so amply endowed and thoroughly covered in sticky mucus. After long bouts of writhing and pulling, the pair may resort to … apophallation. (Huh?) Translated, this means that one slug gnaws off the penis of the other.
UUUGH! Now I never loved someone THAT much.
Is there an advantage to such odd behavior?
Yes, aparently.
The apophallated (the one without a dick) slug cannot regrow his penis and is now obligated to be a female and forced to offer eggs.
So there ends a little biology lesson, brought to you by Miss Understood.
As for love – I’m none the wiser!
Have a nice day!
And don’t forget animal magnetism…
Thank you. I now know that if I am approached by a sexy female, and she offers me apophallation, I should run as quickly as possible in the opposite direction.
Thanks for the biology lesson – I’m glad I’m human!BR/BR/Lovely pics of a loving family (and friend) Laney.
You had me totally enthralled, I never knew that (that white trail they leave behind them, isn’t you know what is it?????). Nearly forgot to say so engrossed in the sluggie thing, superb photos…
omgoodness-that was more about the mating rituals of a slug than i ever wanted to know this morning. and that photo? yuck!BR/BR/i do love the photos of rhonda and her family though…just not the slugs LOL
well thanks for that Laney. I am much enriched by that biological enlightenment. Speechless, almost. How clever of you to get the picture….!!!
lovely photos of a lovley family as always.BR/BR/I think perhaps the depth of research that went into this piece of sluggy love proves one thing without a doubt…………….BR/BR/BR/BR/You obviously have toooooo much time on your hands.BR/BR/how is the job hunt going?
It sounds like nature always comes up with some solution to a potential problem, although I would hate to have to gnaw off someone’s penis. At this point I can’t even imagine my lips touching one. I shudder at the idea. I seem to be forever turned off. I would be the hermaphrodite snail and have sex with myself if I did have to reproduce. I wonder if they have spinster snails who refuse to take part in the process at all.
Well. I learned quite a bit more than I expected today – especially about slugs. I am sure this info will come in handy the next time I play trivia pursuit! I can’t believe you witnessed this event first hand. Were you crawling around on the ground? Guess I had better pay closer attention when I am working in my garden
ummmm, errrrr, uhhhhhhh…. I don’t know how to respond….
wow – all that stuff I never knew about slugs… and I love this word: apophallation… must casually drop this one into a conversation sometime!
When I woke up this morning I had no idea I would see a slug dick.BR/BR/Just goes to show you that when you get out of bed…….you might just learn somethin’.BR/BR/Yeah, me either on the what is love thing
Heh, heh. Great post! Thanks for the inspiration – I used your last meme…
The slugs’ lovemaking takes several hours – no wonder they move round so slowly afterwards!BR/BR/Oh, and thanks for the biology lesson.
A great bunch of fun family photos and an interesting biology lesson. I always suspected slugs were a bit weird.
Nice photos there. I think I should have stopped there too. Gnawing off of penises, yeah, I didn’t really need to know that…glad i’m not a slug.BR/BR/;)
suldog@aol.comBR/BR/;-)
Looks like a most loving family set up there
great photos…..BR/BR/As far as the slugs go, I make sure I always carry a salt shaker with me LOLBR/BR/And did you know it you jump on just one end of a slug, it actually shots out of its skin 
BR/BR/x