Skull Island: A Documentation of the Most Terrifying Place on Earth

by SomethingWittyIGuess

In the summer of 1889, a British Naval ship sails from India to Australia, however a tropical storm causes it to wash up on a lost island in the Indian Ocean. The crew dubs the landmass Skull Island and they take note of the odd and even deadly fauna and flora that call this place home. Since then, several expeditions were made to explore this land and what lived there.

62. The Walkingbranch

The Walkingbranch (Nanopteryx gigas)

Stick insects are textbook examples of the art of camouflage, their bodies not only being in the shape of sticks or twigs, but also having similar textures. The diversity of vaguely plantlike features found on the exoskeletons of these highly successful insects is overwhelming, with bodies mimicking thorns, bark, and even young shoots that are still green. These masters of disguise can be found on practically every continent, feeding on the vegetation that they so masterfully hide in. Skull Island is home to various recognizable stick insects, but one endemic species is a very notable one; the Walkingbranch (Nanopteryx gigas).

Though not the longest or largest member of the order Phasmatodea, the Walkingbranch is still a very large insect, with most individuals boasting a length of 44 cm. What's most noticeable about this animal is its thick, wooden-looking exoskeleton, which is the source of its common name. In addition to camouflage, this heavily armored arthropod's size allows it to stand a chance against the powerful claws and jaws of predators, even when exposed.

The massive Walkingbranch is most closely related to stick insects in the genus Heteropteryx (also known as the Jungle Nymphs), which are found throughout Southeast Asia and Australia. Though members of this genus are found on Skull Island, the genus Nanopteryx (named as such due to its vestigial wings) most likely arose as a way to further combat predation. Like most stick insects, these animals are primarily solitary, only interacting when it is time to mate (though confrontations outside of mating season aren't hostile as individuals usually pay each other no heed).

Author's Note: The Walkingbranch is loosely based on a kaiju featured in the 2017 film Kong Skull Island known as the Spore Mantis. The monster in the film is portrayed as a massive carnivore, despite real stick insects being entirely herbivorous.