Cave Snail

The giant Cave Snail is an enormous inhabitant of the Pocket Caves, able to survive their environment by doing almost nothing. When a hostile creature comes near, they can simply hide in their shells until the assailant grows tired of attacking, and promptly walks away. They also excrete an acidic slime from their bodies, which pools underneath them to protect their soft bodies. Their one weakness is getting struck from the head before being able to get inside their shell.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Cave Snails have large amorphous bodies, with little texture. Most of it is protected by a bulky shell that is made to resemble a boulder, with large bumps of varying sizes all over it. The creature lack eyestalks, and instead has sharp protrusions made to give a last minute defense against attackers, which also fold into the body to allow to curl inside the shell.

Biological Traits

Cave Snails that live underneath the Pits will see their acid slime have a faint gas-like quality, especially when they've curled into a ball.

Genetics and Reproduction

These creatures are hermaphrodites, and can often reproduce on their own. When they meet other members of their species, they will also take to mate with each other, able to produce a lot more offspring than they already could. Oftentimes, they take to hiding from each other initially, unable to tell at first that they have met another of their kind. When they've grown a bond with each other, they'll curl into a ball shape, before going their separate ways. After some time, they will give birth to several live young as a result of their encounter.

Growth Rate & Stages

When Cave Snails are first born, they start out lacking any sort of protective shells or spikes, being very susceptible to being killed. They need extra care from their parent, mostly sticking close to their body, or inside their acidic slime trail, until their shells start growing into the adult form. The young mainly live off the smaller soft bodied creatures that frequently pass by, but as they grow older, they'll have to sustain themselves with larger food sources. It's at this point their slime trails will gain their acidic properties, and the sharp protrusions on their heads will form. They will also leave their parent knowing they can survive on their own accords.

Ecology and Habitats

Cave Snails can only be found inside the Pocket Caves, and they don't do much. They travel very slowly in comparison to other inhabitants of the Nightlight Zone, and they can often be found in periods of rest. Varieties that live underneath environments such as the Forests and Dunes tend to avoid obstructions in their paths, as they are unable to clear it with their anatomy. It has also been found that their slime trails are not strong enough to melt rock.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Cave Snails are sole scavengers, and will feed on just about any fresh kill, but favor the Terragnathans and Greenshell Beetles. They have relatively soft mouths, and will normally crawl over a fresh carcass to get its slime on its body, which will dissolve the flesh and render it easier to eat for the snail. There are no records of Cave Snails actively hunting large prey, possibly because they are too slow.

Biological Cycle

Because these creatures move slowly, plants, and more often algae, can grow on the surfaces of their shells. Varieties under the Forests especially have shells that are almost completely covered with plant life.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

The main senses this creature relies on are hearing and smell, with sight being absent. It uses smell to locate fresh kills, while hearing is used more often to locate other creatures passing by.

Scientific Name

Antrobia megalos

Lifespan

Unknown

Average Weight

820 lbs.

Average Length

17 ft.

Average Physique

Chunky

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Light brown skin, dark brown shell

Geographic Distribution

• The Air Pocket Caves

Average Intelligence
Very low