Author Notes - There's not a lot to say about this family, really. The most interesting thing about it is probably the fact that it only got its name when Hey! Pikmin came around. Cos Pikmin 3 didn't have a Piklopedia until the Deluxe port for whatever reason.

HEAVIL FAMILY

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropod
Class: Pseudoinsecta
Order: Plana
corpus

EMILY'S PERSONAL NOTES

I just kinda feel bad attacking these guys. I have to, because otherwise those crystal rocks will hurt me and/or kill my non-Rock Pikmin, but still. They're just a bunch of peaceful herbivores attacking in self-defence! Of course, any zoologist can tell you that herbivores are not as gentle as you may think. Dare I mention hippos?

The more that I think about it, the stranger I think it is that people even think that to begin with. Like, why do people think that zebras and stuff are gentle just because they won't eat humanoids? Most carnivores don't bother with humanoids anyway, because they'd take up so much energy trying to get us and we're practically twigs compared to their usual prey. And herbivores are horrifying. I mean, hippos can outrun you and then chomp you into three if they want to!

PHYSICAL APPEARANCES

Members of the Heavil family are characterised by their flat bodies, insect-like appearance, and astounding ability to throw objects off their backs.

The Hierodeciderit crystallosum (Skutterchuck) has a flat, insectoid body shaped vaguely like a circle. It balances its thin body on two skinny, sickle-like legs that are hairy and surprisingly strong in spite of their appearance. It has two yellow eyes with big pupils on the side of its head, and two long antennae stick out on the front.

The Platylepas ascendii (Flatterchuck) is easily mistaken for a piece of rock, due to its flat and rectangular appearance. Its small grey eyes are the only obvious giveaway, and by the time you notice it might be too late. Its skin is bumpy and grey, covered in green moss, giving it the appearance of an old rock. It has a black underside and six small legs, which are near impossible to see on a first glance.

HABITAT

Skutterchucks, due to their preferred method of self-defence (see 'Diet and Defences' for more detail), will live solely around where Crushblats (see 'Crushblat') live. This means that they are usually found in warm tropical areas, though they have also been seen around temperate forests. Regardless, they will make their homes around water.

Flatterchucks, meanwhile, do not need to be near Crushblats and so have a wildly different habitat. They do not like being rained on, and so will often seek shelter from the clouds. This usually means they will live underground, though they have also been spotted around what can only be described as a gigantic abandoned construction site.

DIET AND DEFENCES

Members of this family exhibit a strictly herbivorous diet, consuming primarily moss. They typically have a peaceful and gentle disposition, preferring to hide and flee when the option presents itself. However, like most herbivores in the ecosystem, this should not fool you into believing that they are defenceless.

Skutterchucks has a somewhat infamous method of attack. They gather around rocks or crystals and lift them into their backs, before catapulting them at any approaching threat. The force of its attacks are likely to stun or even crush the foe. A Skutterchuck is capable of lifting twenty times its own weight, though obviously the heavier the object the less far it can be thrown. Skutterchucks exhibit some level of intelligence, for they will always live around Crushblat larvae, to use the shells they shed as ammo. Note, however, that their intelligence is evidently not enough for them to realise that they could be crushed by their own rocks, leading to accidental suicides if you can trick one into launching at itself.

Flatterchucks defend themselves in a much less violent - though still potentially dangerous - manner. They lay flat upon the ground, disguising themselves as merely a rock with moss growing on it. If anyone steps upon it, the Flatterchuck will act like a spring-loading platform and send the opponent high into the air. While this could theoretically be used to climb to a higher surface, it's most likely that the would-be attacker will fall from a great enough height to be crippled.

SOCIAL STRUCTURE

Skutterchucks are always seen in small groups. DNA tests indicate that any duo or trio of Skutterchucks are, in fact, littermates. The oldest of the litter adopts the leadership role and is particularly protective over their younger siblings, guiding them to where they should go and doing most of the defending. The leader is often the last one to eat from any given moss patch, for it is more concerned about the wellbeing of its family than itself. This often leads to the leader dying first, and the next-oldest will be put in charge until there are no Skutterchucks left.

Flatterchucks, in contrast, appear to be solitary creatures but are in fact anything but. They create colonies of sorts between families spread out over a fair-sized territory, between 3-10 members. They are still littermates, though no one Flatterchuck is the 'leader' and they usually act independently.

COURTING AND CHILDREARING

Skutterchuck mating season will be obvious to the observate: they, especially the females, become far more aggressive and defensive during this time. For Flatterchucks, they act much the same so it can be much harder to tell.

Regardless of species, they seek out potential mates all around the same time, with the males 'jumping' suitable females without any courting first. Once her eggs are fertilised, a female Skutterchuck will seek out the habitats of Crushblats and lay her eggs there, so when her children hatch they will already have ammo to protect themselves with. Flatterchucks will simply lay them where they themselves hatched.

The larvae that hatch will only be capable of self-defence in four weeks' time. Before then, they are very prone to being consumed by all sorts of insectivores. The parents - especially Skutterchuck parents - will defend their children vigorously. Many bodies of predators have been found around Skutterchuck territory specifically during mating season, which has led to the species being regarded as aggressive carnivores in earlier reports.

OTHER NOTES

Olimar's early notes report a possible theory that female Skutterchucks throw crystals while the males throw rocks. It is important to note that this theory - as he himself admitted - was just a theory with little evidence to back it up. Though this theory was proven untrue, it is true that a Skutterchuck will gladly settle for big round rocks if it has to.

NOTES FROM OTHER RESEARCHERS

Skutterchuck -

It carries a heavy crystal on its back to throw at enemies, and I knew going in that we would probably need Rock Pikmin to break it. I worried that doing so would cause dangerous shards to explode outwards, but fortunately, my imagination proved to be deadlier than reality. A missed design opportunity, if you ask me. - Alph

All that strength, and the best it can do with it is carry around some big crystals. A better idea would be carrying my stuff. If I could tame- Wait. It would throw my stuff all over, wouldn't it? Never mind. - Brittany

They're like walking catapults, the way they hoist those crystals and launch them as if they were mere pebbles. A crafty adversary might lure them into launching the stones at each other, or themselves. An adversary like me! - Captain Charlie

Flatterchuck -

Watch out when walking through its territory, or it'll send you flying into the air. If you calculate right, it can launch you to a platform you couldn't reach otherwise. Of course, that requires good calculations. Now, being an engineer, I can calculate it quite well! … Most of the time. - Alph

Ow. Ow. Ow ow ow… We're never walking through this forest again. I've had my face smashed into the ground enough times. Forget 'ladies first', because I'm not doing it. - Brittany

There's more than a few critters with camouflage on this planet. Unfortunately for them, I am well-trained to deal with such tactics! A carefully hidden critter won't get away from… er. Oh, this is awkward. Where did the thing-? WOOOOOAH! - Captain Charlie

Author Notes - Though this family wasn't the most interesting, I managed to intrigue myself with the whole 'they were confused for carnivores' thing. Yes, I impressed myself. Make of that what you will.

Next time, we're doing a far more interesting family: the enigmatic HONEYWISPS!