Giant Spanish slugs have been mating with their British
counterparts to create a mutant strain of "superslugs". The
Spanish molluscs are thought to have arrived in the UK in salads
during the summer months, and have already spread all the way
across the country to Wales. The Mirror reports that they can
grow up to 15cm in length, and produce hundreds more eggs than
the typical British slug, which could spell trouble for the
indigenous slug population. Slug expert Les Noble of Aberdeen
University said: "These slugs are like conquistadors were to the
Aztecs. Native slugs can't keep pace and may become extinct.
"They are simply being overrun and when you consider the Spanish
slug will happily make a meal out of a dead rabbit as much as
out of dog muck you can see why they are so successful. "We have
already seen when these slugs move into an area, the native
slugs vanish almost immediately. They can wipe out whole crops
and prevent them growing there again." A 72-year-old from Wales
has claimed to have seen the