Reproductive Patterns of the Strawberry Slime (Patreon)

Slimes are a wonderful and diverse species, found all over the globe. Found under any color of the rainbow, with many different sizes and shapes, there is estimated to be hundreds of slimes for every human on Earth.

Yet slimes are as different from each other as birds are to bees. From feeding habits to reproduction, how they act and how they interact and how they fight, each species is almost completely unique to each other.

Join us as we explore the world of slimes and its vast mysteries. We'll learn how each species lives, follow them on their journeys, and collect them in our Slime Studies.

A distinctive red sheen in an evergreen forest may indicate the presence of the most prominent species of slime on land. Limusvir Rubrum, colloquially known as the strawberry slime, is a predator that has established a footmark on the entire world. While considered an invasive species in many habitats, its highly adaptable and quickly reproducing nature has made it nearly impossible to weed out.

One slime is in the mood to reproduce at this very moment. We'll call this one Jane. The strawberry slime's feminine appearance gives the impression they're an all-female species, but that's not true in the traditional sense. They're a special type of hermaphroditic species, inseminating others while being inseminated at the same time. And for strawberry slimes like Jane, in all happens in what many like to refer to as a mating pool.

It starts in the mating season, when one strawberry slime releases enough pheromones to get the attention of another strawberry slime. There combined pheromones are enough to draw in a few more, and more and more. Before long there are too many slimes to count, seemingly mixing together in what looks like a massive orgy. Every slime is inseminating each other in what looks like a pool of red, which is what earned this the name of the mating pool.

Jane is in the middle of one right now, secreting pink fluids as this one flows through the sea of ruby red slimes. These fluids are capable of penetrating the skin and inseminating any strawberry slime below them. While it's tempting to compare it to the semen of other creatures, the fluid is actually made of the slime's own flesh. Specialized cells bind onto the cells of the slimes below, combining their DNA and slowly shifting the physical features of the slimes.

There are many aspects to the strawberry slime's reproductive habits that make them unique, even among other slime based invertebrates. For one, no single slime has just two parents. Due to this unique breeding strategy a single slime could have fifty parents, and researchers have been yet to determine the upper limit. Another unique aspect of the strawberry slime that is rare among the animal kingdom is that strawberry slimes are some of the few creatures to die upon giving birth.

Jane seems to know this, but is perfectly content with going on with this procedure. Reproduction is the ultimate goal of living things, and slimes are no exception. But before Jane can start giving birth, this one will have to undergo a feast. Giving birth was going to take a lot of energy, and this energy didn't come from nowhere. For three weeks, Jane is going to have to fill herself up with four times the usual amount of food.

And once those weeks were over it was time to pack up. Winter was coming and the strawberry slime suffered in intense colds. Not to mention she was due to start delivering soon, which meant she needed a place to hide out. The hiding spot will differ between slimes, some choosing hollowed out tree trunks, some finding themselves in caves, and some risking things by sliding into bushes and shrubs. Jane was one of the lucky ones, finding a cave to hide in for the winter months. If the slime was to be found in such a vulnerable state, then who knows what would happen to it?

Now it was time to rest. Jane as we know her will no longer emerge again, and her body collapses into a large red blob. This blob might look like it's completely still, but inside it's constantly in motion. Inside every individual cell is on the move, organizing and equalizing the DNA until the DNA of only two individuals were inside the slime. Cells containing DNA that'd belong to one slime moves one direction, while cells containing DNA of the other slime go in the other direction. It's a unique form of sexual reproduction that resembles mitosis, while carrying little or none of the downsides.

That doesn't mean that reproduction always goes smoothly however. In a nearby field, barely able to hide before having to hibernate, another strawberry slime was doing the same. This slime was also going through its reproductive process, but didn't have enough to eat beforehand. Due to this lack of energy it is waking up from the hibernation early, about to split and complete its reproductive process.

This can cause many complications with the process however, some of which we're about to see right now. What appears to be one large blob is now stretching itself out, halves collecting on one end each and pulling themselves apart like stretched out bubblegum. When things go right this would only last a few seconds, the blob quickly splitting in half into two separate strawberry slimes. Unfortunately for this one, things are going to be a bit more difficult.

Being forced to wake up early means that the cells had yet to organize themselves entirely. While within there were cells of two slimes, they were a bit too intermingled to completely come apart. A part of each individual was imbedded in the other, tying them like a knot. At this point the strawberry slimes were starting to gain consciousness, likely tugging away at each other out of fear and confusion. They're like conjoined twins trying to walk away from each other, tugging on each other's flesh.

The two are still tugging away from each other, trying their best to separate. Each half seems to be pulling with all the strength it can muster, but since they are just newborns their strength is virtually the same. Neither seems to realize the inevitability of their situation though, for they are just pulling and pulling without stop.

When a strawberry slime finds itself not strong enough for the current task it will transform into a more humanoid form. Many slime species have forms that resemble a human woman, which gives these species the alternate name of slimegirls, though the belief that all slimes do so is just a myth. Some slimes have a masculine form, some take a more gender neutral form, and some even have more animalistic forms. Regardless, strawberry slimes are one of the many species with a traditional "slimegirl" form, and it looks like these two are transforming into these forms right now.

The heads are starting to take shape right before us, the arms are coming out and the chest is becoming more defined. The transformation is surprising quick, in just a blink the slimes were looking completely different. The two of them only managed to make an incomplete humanoid form, looking like one strawberry slime with two heads in this form. They're even more like conjoined twins now, which really goes to show how fused they are with each other.

And now they're pulling even more, desperately but fruitlessly attempting to pull themselves away from each other. The middle of their conjoined body does seem to be separating somewhat, so the plan isn't entirely hopeless, but the parts that aren't separating look almost solid. The two are shaking trying to pull themselves apart, like they're trying to hold something in.

Oh my god this is a new discovery. The slimes are secreting pink fluids from their surface, the same fluids they secrete during reproduction. This means the tugging is giving them similar effects to reproduction, which is comparable to intercourse in other species like humans. This is just as much of a sexual battle as it was a fight over their body, which means the two are seemingly inseminating each other while trying to break away from each other. The effects of something like this will have to be observed at a later date.

This is why it's important for a strawberry slime to eat enough before reproduction occurs. Without enough energy the newborns won't completely split, leaving them attached to each other which may complicate their future. Lucky such a thing hasn't happened to Jane, who was still going through reproduction safely in the case.

Winter is over, and Jane's children step out of the cave at spring. The life of a strawberry slime is not an easy one for these newbies to go through, but that's a story for another time. But for now, those have been our Slime Studies.