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Vinestranglers are named for their vine-like appearances and their behavior of strangling their victims to death. Their scientific name, Vitis Strangulari, translates to "vine" and "strangle" respectively. The scientific name of the alpha vinestrangler contains the word majoris, meaning "major".
Design[]
Appearance[]
Vinestranglers are large katydid-like creatures that have evolved to closely resemble tree branches. They appear to have numerous tentacles that extend from their abdomens that they use to lift prey into their gaping stomachs, which can close upon obtaining prey. Due to often merging themselves into the canopy of trees, it is difficult to make sense of where exactly the Vinestrangler ends and the actual tree begins.
Roar[]
The roar of the Vinestrangler can be heard on the Monarch Files featurette of Kong: Skull Island.
Personality[]
Vinestranglers are crepuscular, active during both dawn and dusk. They are arboreal insects that live and hunt on trees.
Origins[]
A crepuscular tree dweller, this giant insect is a primordial chapter of the katydid family. Leafy structures encase the creature within the branches of its tree habitat, although initial findings have proven inconclusive as to where the Vinestrangler ends and the tree begins.
― Monarch Creature Profile
Vinestranglers and their alpha variants live in the boughs of rainforest trees where they are well camouflaged. Their skin strongly resembles the color and texture of their home tree, while their vestigial legs are decorated with leaf-like growths. Genetic analysis associates them with the terrestrial katydid.
Vinestranglers move through the trees by means of two clawed arms and a pincer on their abdomen. These appendages allow them to hang from larger branches with their belly oriented towards the ground. While the creature's claws and pincer look formidable, they are only used for locomotion and holding onto the tree. Once in place, the Vinestrangler remains still and waits for suitable prey to pass beneath.
Vinestranglers and the trees that they inhabit appear to have a symbiotic relationship. The trees provide shelter and the Vinestranglers provide fertilizer with the remains of their victims. Any given tree can support as many as 10 Vinestranglers, with larger trees supporting greater populations. Curiously, the Vinestranglers seem capable of sensing the location and movement of prey, despite having very poor eyesight and no antenna. One theory is that the tree somehow signals the Vinestranglers that their prey is beneath them.
The Vinestrangler's method of digestion is similar to the Mother Longlegs. Both use ropy muscular tendrils to entangle victims and to draw them up into their open stomachs where victims are suffocated and bathed in dissolving juices.
― Creature Codex
Abilities[]
Camouflage[]
The Vinestranglers' plant-like biology allows them to merge into the canopy of trees and hide in plain sight from both prey and predators.
Tendrils[]
As their name suggests, Vinestranglers uses their vine-like tendrils to ensnare unsuspecting prey and drag them into the tree canopy to be strangled and eaten.
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