Leopard slug
Limax maximus Linnaeus, 1758
LCLeast Concernsnails and slugs
The leopard slug (Limax maximus) is a mollusc in the snails and slugs subgroup, belonging to the family Limacidae within the class Gastropoda. It is also called the tiger slug, great grey slug, great gray slug, giant gardenslug and spotted garden slug.
Quick facts about the leopard slug
The species was named by Linnaeus in 1758 and is placed in the genus Limax, subfamily Limacinae and superfamily Limacoidea. The IUCN Red List assesses the leopard slug globally as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.
- Weight
- Not recorded
- Length
- 10 cm – 20 cmsrc for Length
- Lifespan
- Not recorded
- Main food
- Not recorded
- Habitat
- Not recorded
- Young per litter or clutch
- Not recorded
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
- Countries on record
- Not recorded
How big is the leopard slug?
Photos of the leopard slug
Only freely licensed photos are shown. Each carries its creator and licence.
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Where does the leopard slug live?
Not recorded
What is the leopard slug?
Limax maximus (literally, "biggest slug"), known by the common names great grey slug and leopard slug, is a species of slug in the family Limacidae, the keeled slugs. It is among the largest keeled slugs, Limax cinereoniger being the largest.
Limax maximus is the type species of the genus Limax. The adult slug measures 10–20 cm (3.9–7.9 in) in length and is generally a light grey or grey-brown with darker spots and blotches, although the coloration and exact patterning of the body of this slug species is quite variable.
This species has a very unusual and distinctive mating method, where the pair of slugs use a thick thread of mucus to hang suspended in the air from a tree branch or other structure.
Although native to Europe, this species has been accidentally introduced to many other parts of the world. It was first discovered outside its native range in Philadelphia, USA in 1867.
From the Wikipedia article “Limax maximus” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Limax_maximus&oldid=1372120856), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.
Is the leopard slug endangered?
The leopard slug is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.
- LCLeast Concern
- NTNear Threatened
- VUVulnerable
- ENEndangered
- CRCritically Endangered
- EWExtinct in the Wild
- EXExtinct
Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species.
How is the leopard slug classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumMollusca
- classGastropoda
- familyLimacidae
- genusLimax
- SpeciesLimax maximus Linnaeus, 1758
Synonyms Krynickillus mamelianus, Limacella parma, Limax abrostolus, Limax altenai, Limax bocagei, Limax cellarius, Limax cinereus, Limax eubalius, Limax maculatus, Limax maximus, Limax maximus, Limax maximus var. cellarius, Limax maximus var. obscurus, Limax pardalis, Limax sylvaticus, Limax vulgaris
Other names and names in other languages (54)
- European giant gardenslugEnglish
- Giant gardenslugEnglish
- Great gray slugEnglish
- Great grey slugEnglish
- Spotted garden slugEnglish
- Tiger slugEnglish
- ChälerschnäggAlbanian
- slimák největšíCzech
- Wiôldżi smulszKashubian
- GråsneglDanish
- LeopardsneglDanish
- PantersneglDanish
- Plettet gråsneglDanish
- Stor kældersneglDanish
- TigerschnegelGerman
- Große EgelschneckeGerman
- Großer SchnegelGerman
- TigernacktschneckeGerman
- Λέοπαρντ ΓυμνοσάλιαγκαςGreek
- Babosa europea tigreSpanish
- Suur seatiguEstonian
- Suur-seatiguEstonian
- Lehoinabar bareaBasque
- JättietanaFinnish
- pantterietanaFinnish
- LeopardsnigilFaroese
- Limace tigréeFrench
- Limace léopardFrench
- Veliki balavacCroatian
- nagy meztelencsigaHungarian
- Grande limaccia grigiaItalian
- マダラコウラナメクジJapanese
- 수원표범민달팽이Korean
- Didysis šliužasLithuanian
- Milzu kailgliemezisLatvian
- boakjølsneglNorwegian Bokmål
- TijgerslakDutch
- Grote aardslakDutch
- boakjølsnigelNorwegian Nynorsk
- pomrów wielkiPolish
- Lesma leopardoPortuguese
- Lesma-LeopardoPortuguese
- Большой слизеньRussian
- Большой придорожный слизеньRussian
- slizniak veľkýSlovak
- veliki slinarSlovenian
- Велики пуж голаћSerbian
- Veliki puž golaćSerbian
- pantersnigelSwedish
- Слимак великийUkrainian
- Слизняк великийUkrainian
- Слимак леопардовийUkrainian
- Слизняк великий звичайнийUkrainian
- 大蛞蝓Chinese
Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistITISTAXREFWikidataIUCN Red List
Relatives of the leopard slug
Other species in the same genus Limax.
CompareLeopard slug vs Ash-grey slugLeopard slug vs Conemenos' slugLeopard slug vs Greek slugLeopard slug vs Limax aeolianus
Common questions
Each answer is written from the sourced facts on this page, and only where they hold the answer.
What kind of animal is the leopard slug?
The leopard slug is a mollusc in the snails and slugs subgroup. It belongs to the class Gastropoda and the family Limacidae.
What is the scientific name of the leopard slug?
The scientific name of the leopard slug is Limax maximus, placing it in the genus Limax.
Who named the leopard slug and when?
The leopard slug was named by Linnaeus in 1758.
Is the leopard slug endangered?
No. The IUCN Red List assesses the leopard slug globally as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.
What other names does the leopard slug have?
The leopard slug is also called the tiger slug, great grey slug, great gray slug, giant gardenslug and spotted garden slug.
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- Catalogue of Life eXtended Release · CC BY 4.0 · 2026-10-16 XR
Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf - Wikimedia Commons · per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed) · 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence). - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service). - Wikipedia (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).
Embed a card for this animal on your own site
Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.
CreatureData. (2026). Leopard slug (Limax maximus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/leopard-slug
“Leopard slug (Limax maximus).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/leopard-slug.
@misc{leopard_slug_2026,
title = {Leopard slug (Limax maximus)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/leopard-slug},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}