Diva's Next Pet

Diva's expressed an interest in Pacific Banana Slugs. They have a lot to recommend them - they're low maintenance, will eat most organic waste, don't take up a lot of room, get along well with others, and are unlikely to be eaten by other pets. And while they don't wag their tails, they've got those cute, wiggly eye stalks:

Some interesting slug facts:

• the Banana Slug is the second largest slug and can grow to 25 cm long.
  
• their slime is multi-purpose: for respiration, attracting mates, locomotion and protection
• the slime acts as an anaesthetic, which deters predators.
• a slug can travel over a razor blade or sharp edge of glass without cutting itself because of the slime that covers the foot.
• a slug that has climbed a tree can get down quickly by dropping to the ground safely from a string made of slime.
• the Banana Slug is hermaphroditic - they are capable of self fertilization but more often cross mate.
• when a slug is ready to mate, it leaves behind a chemical in its slime to signal potential mates.
• before mating, slugs will eat each other's slime.
• slugs are capable of storing the sperm that they have received for many weeks.
• the Banana Slug gnaws off its penis when disengaging from sex.

And so, as you can see, slugs make most excellent pets. Except for the slime, but really, what pet doesn't come with a drawback or two? And they're cheap - I'd be happy to provide you with as many slugs as you want, just for the cost of shipping (they're light, too - an added bonus!). If you think the 25cm Banana Slug is too big, we have smaller Black Garden Slug as well - they top out at about 15cm, and with their glossy black skin would be well suited to more formal occasions.