It's a slug's life

If the slug and its more aesthetic cousin, the snail, were invited to fight it out in a popularity poll, the latter would will hands down. Its shell, which actually makes it less flexible and more vulnerable to injury, somehow actually makes it cuter, simply more appealing to the human mind and eye. 

But what of the unsung slug? Do they have no redeeming features at all? These creatures of the night are actually pretty helpful. Capable of eating up to twice their body weight each day, they make a valuable contribution to breaking down organic waste.

That said, certain species are a vertiable pest - and when feeding en-masse, they can paralyze crop growth.

Sexually creative and equipped with eyes that can grow back if they somehow go astray, slugs might not be the cuddliest of all creatures - but they are very definitely interesting.