Creature:Flowatrappa

Flowatrappa is a genus (Anthomimus) of aliens that mimic flowers in shape. They are ambush predators, waiting for prey to come near them rather than actively hunt. Most species are named after the particular species of flower they imitate.

Morphology
Flowatrappas have a single foot consisting of a vertebra surrounded by thick muscle. This produces significant strain on the Flowatrappa's spine, forcing it to rest in a crouching or sitting position. The most unmistakable feature of Flowatrappa is the large frill around the head, resembling a giant flower. Each "petal", so to speak, of this structure appears to be supported by a pair of rib-like bones that fork at the base. The number and shape of the petals varies according to the species of flower the creature mimics. At the center of this deadly flower is the Flowatrappa's fanged mouth, which continues down past the creature's head into the bottom of its foot, where the stomach leads to the colon and then the anus. In the creature's mouth, there is an organ that produces an acidic, digestive compound that can be spit. This organ is also present in the related Treehugger, though it serves a different purpose. With Flowatrappas, it is believed to be purely a digestive aid. Six clawed, jointed appendages ring the Flowatrappa's mouth. These are used to skewer prey that alights on the Flowatrappa's head, and also serve as rather strong climbing limbs. Possessing no eyes, ears, or scent glands, the Flowatrappa detects the presence of prey with four pressure-sensitive extensions surrounding the head.

Behavior
Being extremely aggressive and defensive creatures, Flowatrappas will lash out at anything, animate or no, that comes into their range of touch. They are even known to attack their own claws at times. Flowatrappas, as previously mentioned, are characterized by their mimicry of large flowers. There are, however, smaller species of Flowatrappa belonging to a different, less-studied genus, Microanthus. The largest species is the Atlas Flowatrappa, which resembles to a great degree the massive, fleshy flowers of the colossal Atlas trees.

Flowatrappas' strategy of obtaining food is to lie in wait on a branch or on the ground—depending on the species—until some small pollinating prey comes in search of fruit or nectar. As the hapless creature steps into the Flowatrappa's grasp, it is skewered at once by six claws. Sometimes, especially for particularly large prey, three claws will hold down the creature while the other three pierce it.

Flowatrappas, like many of cohabitants of its planet, can live a long time when compared to creatures of the same size on Earth—up to one hundred years in this case. It is not very uncommon to see Flowatrappas well over 110 years of age. However, in all this time, they mate only once or twice, producing a clutch of approximately a dozen eggs. Flowatrappas are hermaphrodites; thus each participant is impregnated during mating.

In-game description
''Posing as a bountiful and harmless overgrown flower, the Flowatrappa lures its prey into its set of six claws to be skewered and then digested. The Flowatrappa possesses a single bulbous foot which it uses to anchor itself and—rarely—to move about.''

Tags:monopod, mimic, mimicry, flower, plant

Taxonomy

 * Kingdom: Unnamed
 * Phylum: Arthroskeleta
 * Subphylum: Paratripoda
 * Class: Nudovertebra
 * Order: Coccypods
 * Family: Anthomimidae
 * Genus: Anthomimus (a.k.a. Flytdais, 2008)

List of species

 * Anthomimus ascendens
 * A. atlas
 * A. distichum
 * A. pteridophyllus