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Description
Another “Expedition” inspired piece.

“Competition for the same resource is a selective pressure on earth, and the biologists weren’t surprised to see that it was on Darwin IV as well. Though the results of such pressures are often more surprising than expected.

The Trunk Splitter, a larger cousin of the Trunk Sucker, is found in the larger stands of Plaque-bark Trees scattered across the surface of Darwin IV. It too feeds on the sap of the tree, but instead of taking advantage of pre-made gashes, the Trunk Splitter uses two large cephalic limbs to force apart pieces of bark at their seams. A razor-sharp proboscis concealed between the mandible-like limbs shaves and scrapes away heartwood to reach veins of sap below.

In an attempt to collect morphometric data, the behavioral ecologist was viciously attacked by a captured Trunk Splitter. “Alarmingly aggressive compared to their counterparts”, the behavioral ecologist wrote, “it’s feline-like ability to twist its body to face me suggests the presence of a less rigid internal skeleton. What puzzles me further is the painful, apparently venomous bite it possesses as well. The nasty gashes in my arm from the wicked clawed arms were horrendous enough to deal with. To add insult to injury, a quick jab from the dagger-like proboscis is met with a pounding headache, dizziness, and fainting. My legs still feel unsteady, and torrents of sweat race down my arms and face. One feels as if though they are on the receiving end of the worst hangover that hell could conjure. Vomiting has finally ended…

On a more serious note, heightened aggression, noxious bite, and bolder habits (feeding in the open in broad daylight for instance) suggest to me that the Trunk Splitter has evolved countermeasures to attacks from predators, perhaps Daggerwrists. Of the feeding stations observed, no bodies of Trunk Splitters have been collected. Perhaps only the most brazen (and unwise) Daggerwrist would dare to make sport of such cantankerous prey. Are the bolder markings a warning to predators? Is the keratinized head a defensive adaptation? What else does the Trunk Splitter employ to outwit its adversaries?”

Later field studies would bring back similar reports. “What unnerves me the most”, one technician reports, “is the Trunk Splitter’s deadly accuracy with that proboscis. No eyes, no ears, no visible sensory organs yet they seem to hone in on where your throat is in an instant. I’d recommend investing in some sort of neck guard, those fiendish devils will stop at nothing to stab right through your windpipe. They never seem to go for the eyes or the face, usually the end up going for your arms and hands, but if given the chance they will Absolutely go for the throat. Gives me chills just thinking about it.”

Description
Another “Expedition” inspired piece.

“Competition for the same resource is a selective pressure on earth, and the biologists weren’t surprised to see that it was on Darwin IV as well. Though the results of such pressures are often more surprising than expected.

The Trunk Splitter, a larger cousin of the Trunk Sucker, is found in the larger stands of Plaque-bark Trees scattered across the surface of Darwin IV. It too feeds on the sap of the tree, but instead of taking advantage of pre-made gashes, the Trunk Splitter uses two large cephalic limbs to force apart pieces of bark at their seams. A razor-sharp proboscis concealed between the mandible-like limbs shaves and scrapes away heartwood to reach veins of sap below.

In an attempt to collect morphometric data, the behavioral ecologist was viciously attacked by a captured Trunk Splitter. “Alarmingly aggressive compared to their counterparts”, the behavioral ecologist wrote, “it’s feline-like ability to twist its body to face me suggests the presence of a less rigid internal skeleton. What puzzles me further is the painful, apparently venomous bite it possesses as well. The nasty gashes in my arm from the wicked clawed arms were horrendous enough to deal with. To add insult to injury, a quick jab from the dagger-like proboscis is met with a pounding headache, dizziness, and fainting. My legs still feel unsteady, and torrents of sweat race down my arms and face. One feels as if though they are on the receiving end of the worst hangover that hell could conjure. Vomiting has finally ended…

On a more serious note, heightened aggression, noxious bite, and bolder habits (feeding in the open in broad daylight for instance) suggest to me that the Trunk Splitter has evolved countermeasures to attacks from predators, perhaps Daggerwrists. Of the feeding stations observed, no bodies of Trunk Splitters have been collected. Perhaps only the most brazen (and unwise) Daggerwrist would dare to make sport of such cantankerous prey. Are the bolder markings a warning to predators? Is the keratinized head a defensive adaptation? What else does the Trunk Splitter employ to outwit its adversaries?”

Later field studies would bring back similar reports. “What unnerves me the most”, one technician reports, “is the Trunk Splitter’s deadly accuracy with that proboscis. No eyes, no ears, no visible sensory organs yet they seem to hone in on where your throat is in an instant. I’d recommend investing in some sort of neck guard, those fiendish devils will stop at nothing to stab right through your windpipe. They never seem to go for the eyes or the face, usually the end up going for your arms and hands, but if given the chance they will Absolutely go for the throat. Gives me chills just thinking about it.”