Slug slime could help cure or treat Covid-19 ... if we can find it

File photo of a Leopard slug. Slug slime apparently has potential as a replacement for medical stitches because it maintains its sticky properties even when blood makes the area slick. — Gannett

Since much of what I write – especially my books – is focused on endangered species, I often get asked why we should bother protecting rare species, especially those that are less-than-charismatic, like snakes, mice or Rhode Island’s state insect, the American burying beetle.

I try to explain their contribution to maintaining the health of their ecosystem or their role in the food web, and sometimes I offer a philosophical note that they have just as much right to be here as we do.