The yellow slug.
23rd January 2009, FridayOut in the garden tonight there were a few specimens of the yellow slug Limax flavus, taking advantage of the wet conditions. These are large slugs with a keel towards the rear of the body, and are yellow with grey or brown mottling, and pale blue tentacles. These kept getting hit by the rain and were withdrawn.
This species is synanthropic, usually living close to man in gardens, outhouses, damp cellars and kitchens. I remember reading that this species was particularly associated with Victorian houses, but they turn up frequently in our 11 year-old kitchen. It is quite a cold tolerant species and is reported to have survived being frozen in a block of ice. A good thing given our recent weather!