Author Notes - For the sake of not being horribly confusing, the original green Skitterleaf is going to be called 'Fresh Skitterleaf' in this document thing. I must admit, the Desiccated version has killed more of my Pikmin than I care to admit. It's too easy to forget about it.

SKITTERLINGS FAMILY

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera

EMILY'S PERSONAL NOTES

They're like stick insects, but with leaves instead! Nice. I always like seeing a neat bit of camouflage, considering how most of the creatures in this world have rather bright colours. Of course, it can be a problem if those carnivorous variants come out at ya without warning. Which they often do, as I can attest to from experience. I know they exist, but sometimes I forget where they are and only find out the hard way. ... FUN TIMES.

The Desiccated guys bring back some nice memories. See, every fall, my big sister Hannah would rake up the leaves in our backyard. It was her job, ya see. Except, well... Ida and I would jump into the big piles and scatter the leaves everywhere! It was so much fun! Except for that one time that Hannah got so angry that she threw the rake at me, but it didn't hurt that much. She's just got a temper that needs controlling.

PHYSICAL APPEARANCES

Members of this family resemble leaves, down to the finest detail to create an effective camouflage. When their limbs and heads are hidden, they appear to be nothing more than ordinary leaves. Their heads resemble either the stem or the tip of the leaf, depending on the species, and the four legs too appear to be small leaves.

The clearest difference between the two known species is the colour. The Rus pseudoarbicans (Fresh Skitterleaf) is green, while the Rus mortifeuillea (Desiccated Skitterleaf) is brown. The forelegs of the Desiccated variant are also much bigger, divided into two segments in a manner that resembles claws.

HABITAT

Skitterleaves reside in many areas across PNF-404, including certain caverns. They live only where leaves can be found, to provide the appropriate camouflage. The Fresh species lives primarily in warmer areas with plenty of water, to match all the verdant foliage surrounding them. The Desiccated variant, meanwhile, prefers to live in colder areas where the leaves are more likely to be brown and dead.

DIET AND DEFENCES

The diet is drastically different between the two known species. Fresh Skitterleafs peacefully consume the moss that grows by fresh bodies of water, occasionally eating tiny aquatic insects to provide themselves with protein. The Desiccated variant, however, uses its claw-like arms to grab small creatures of all kinds and chew them up. It does so in a much more aggressive manner compared to its green counterpart.

Both species rely on their camouflage, appearing as nothing more than a harmless little leaf on the ground. For Fresh Skitterleafs, this provides a helpful defence for a creature that is otherwise completely harmless. For Desiccated Skitterlings, it is incorporated into their hunting method. They lay in waiting, pretending to be nothing but a harmless leaf, until they spring their trap and consume their unsuspecting prey.

SOCIAL STRUCTURE

Skitterleaves live in small groups; one is almost always accompanied by at least one or two more. These Skitterleaves remain close to each other, and show signs of great distress if they are ever separated by either the wind or death. Fights between specimens are practically unheard of, for they appear to understand that they are feasted upon enough and cannot afford to fight each other.

Due to a lack of any sexual dimorphism (see 'Courting and Childrearing' for more detail), Skitterleaves do not differentiate between different sexes. The small groups appear to consist not of littermates but instead friends who ended up meeting by coincidence. The interactions between these 'friends' are friendly and gentle, even for the Dessicated variant.

COURTING AND CHILDREARING

This family is rather unique among the animalia kingdom, for their method of procreation is much more similar to that of plants than animals.

There are no males or females among Skitterleaves. Every individual, barring any fertility problems, is capable of producing a substance similar to pollen. This pollen is typically produced and emitted during autumn, when the cool windy air can carry it far. A Skitterleaf is not capable of reproducing on its own and requires the pollen of another in order to create offspring.

Any Skitterleaf that picks up the pollen of another will lay up to thirty eggs, which will hatch after two weeks. The camouflage known to the species is there at birth. Unlike many species in the ecosystem that are capable of hybrid breeding, the pollen of the Fresh and Desiccated variants are not compatible with each other. This is rarely an issue, however, due to their different habitats.

OTHER NOTES

The 'leaves' on their backs were previously functional wings. They have since evolved into the leaf-like structure, which has eliminated their ability to fly with the advantage of having a much better camouflage.

NOTES FROM OTHER RESEARCHERS

Fresh Skitterleaf -

I'm in love with this camouflage job. It looks like an ordinary leaf fallen from a tree, and then wham! It starts to move and takes you by surprise. We could learn a lot from the way it uses protective colouration to blend in with its surroundings. I'm thinking of redesigning our space suits, or maybe even the S.S. Drake's hull. - Alph

Not only do its body and limbs look like leaves—its beady little eyes remind me of fruit. I don't see the point of all that camouflage when they startle at every single thing that gets close. - Brittany

It's totally harmless, but sometimes there is a reason to defeat one. When that happens, the best we can do is to be merciful and land one solid strike on its back. Poor thing. - Captain Charlie

Desiccated Skitterleaf -

This is good camouflage. When you see a lone green leaf on the ground, that's suspicious. But a lone dead leaf? Nobody looks twice at those. Very well thought out. - Alph

Dead leaves are good. You can turn them into mulch and plant fruit trees, making something great out of something gross. The Pikmin know what I'm talking about, because they love dragging these guys back to the Onion to do the same thing. - Brittany

These cowards act like dead leaves, then jump out and attack the Pikmin while we aren't watching. The only defence is to treat every dead leaf you see as a mortal threat! Yes, it's tiring to see danger everywhere I look, but it's a small price to pay to save lives! - Captain Charlie

Author Notes - Skitterleaves are cute. At least they are when they're not eating my Pikmin. ... WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S FORMATTED AS 'SKITTER LEAF'?!

The Slooches are next. I actually really like slugs. Maybe not so much when they're on fire.