Tunnel Bobbit Worm
Posted: Sat Sep 25, 2021 3:34 am
Name: Tunnel Bobbit Worm
Habitat: The Midden: Waterways, or caverns with a sufficient source of water.
Rarity: Uncommon
Threat: Low, Medium
Description: An all pink pulsing exterior, ribbed and translucent, from its earliest stage of life onwards. The head of the worm is covered with many tendrils that each has a spiral of tiny sharp teeth in the center and two larger pincers used to grab, rip, and mutilate unsuspecting prey.
A Length of four feet and one foot in diameter. Its main body is kept hidden in burrows of dirt and stone. It burrows with tendrils on its facial side and digs holes just big enough for these tendrils to poke out of and lie in wait. The Tunnel Bobbit Worm can stay in a single spot for weeks as long as it can take just as long for it to fully digest the contents of its prey. While on the hunt the tendrils will sense for heat or vibrations of sound near its burrow and all strike at once, tearing apart any would be food source. Once the Tunnel Bobbit Worm had had its fill it will retreat to a safer burrow until such time as it needs to feed again before its previous meal has fully digested. Should a Tendril be severed or crushed they will eventually regrow.
There are rumors of these worms growing much larger, but these sightings are rare and often far removed from any civilized part of the world.
Biome Role: Traditionally will help stir the sediment in their surroundings in their natural environment and keeping pests from becoming too numerous. They play a minor role as predators but a bigger role to help stimulate plant growth with their tunnels by fertilizing the soil with their droppings. In man made tunnels they are considered an invasive species and will cause cave ins if left unchecked.
Diet: Carnivorous ambush Predators
Aging & Reproduction: It is unknown how long a Tunnel Bobbit Worm can live for. If given enough space to molt and grow they can grow from their larval stage of a foot long up towards their adult length. The Tunnel Bobbit Worm will reproduce by laying eggs in its burrow and the passing of other Tunnel Bobbit Worms will inseminate them with their slime like coating.
Size: Larvae: One foot long, tendrils not yet grown.
Adolecense: One and a half to two feet long, tendrils grown to a foot in length
Adult: Three feet in length, with tendrils ranging from three feet to six depending on degrees of success of previous feedings.
Age depends on size and degrees of molting, not time.
Abilities and Features: Excellent diggers and ambushers. A tunnel the length of 2 miles can be dug within half a day if made out of dirt and stone, but man made tunnels can take multiple days to carve through at the same amount of time.
The heads of its tendrils will remain flush with the ground until its trap is sprung, and they all spring up simultaneously to devour its prey.
Reasons to interact: If seen before their trap is sprung, they can be used against anything that a person might wish to die and disappear.