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Slugs, like their close relatives, land snails, are very sensitive to dehydration, that is, the loss of water from the surface of the body that remains exposed to the air. Table salt, in turn, is a hygroscopic substance, that is, it strongly attracts water. “When salt is thrown on these animals, it quickly absorbs the water in their bodies, causing the destruction of cells and tissues, transforming their bodies into a slimy, misshapen mass, as if they were melting,” says biologist Osmar Domaneschi, from the USP. The salt therefore sucks all the water out of the body of the slugs, which are more vulnerable than snails because they lack a calcareous shell to protect themselves.
Other animals that face the same problem with salt – due to the malicious action of certain people – are toads, frogs and worms. Despite being fragile, this type of “skin” brings some advantages to those who have it. Because it is very permeable, it is an important way for gases to enter and exit, helping to meet the respiratory needs of these animals – which do not always have lungs capable of handling the task. In addition, such «skin» easily allows the excretion of substances that need to be eliminated by the body.