Valteosite Gutpeircer is a tertiary predator native to Valteos 36 and possesses a peculiar mutualistic relationship with Heartthrob Needleshell. Adapted to hunt large, toxin-resistant prey, through a process of predatory insurgence, the Gutpeircer will inject the small creature inside their prey, letting it destroy vital organs to kill the victim from the inside, leaving a bloodied carcass to be consumed.
The prey species it specializes in hunting is a large, heavy-set insectivore. Due to their frequent encounters with toxic prey, they have adopted a natural resistance to powerful toxins.
Another adaptation to their lifestyle is the adaptation of a large, bony, face plate to protect against the sharp spines of their food. This plate can also serve as a strong deterrent and weapon against any would-be predators allowing for it to be largely left alone…unless it is unlucky to stumble upon the Gutpeircer.
The Gutpeircer’s preferred method is to burrow under the ground and wait for prey. Using a modified tooth, they will inject their Needleshell from an internal sack. Once their prey has fallen, they will track down the body using their large feathery chemoreceptors on their tail to smell out the corpse. Once they’ve had their fill, the Needleshell will crawl into the Gutpeircer’s throat and slip back into the pouch, ready to be used for the next hunt.
The Gutpeircer can last weeks on a single meal, allowing for a very sedentary lifestyle, with some even lasting a month without a meal.
About once a year, Gutpeircers will crawl out from their burrows and begin using the  Needleshell to excrete strong pheromones in hopes of finding a mate and showing their individual fitness.
Once a mate has been secured, both Gutpeircers will release their Needleshell in the process of reproduction. Once mating season is over, clutches of eggs of both species will begin hatching, these newly born Gutpeircers will begin their lifelong bonds with their surrounding Needleshells. They will begin life, hunting much smaller game, only using their needle to spear small animals while they wait for their tiny companions to fully develop. This process can take 5 -8 months and during this vulnerable stage in their life, many Gutpeircers will not survive.
It is estimated that only 20% of all Gutpeircers reach maturity. Living in the harsh Valteos 36’s savannahs, the Gutpeircer has adapted to have a layer of hardened dermal armor on its back; this also aids in then not getting trampled while burrowed underground from the megafauna that it coexists with.
Entry by community member, Caper and Wendiglue.Â