Smaraslim Bubblehorn

Spread through the rainforest, some acicubins found shelter and protection in the caves, where they changed their way to disguise into the environment and developed into a new species.

Besides feeding from waste, the smaraslim bubblehorn also searches for food in the walls of the caves, where it finds minerals and microorganisms. It developed the capacity to scale rocky surfaces, remaining most of the time adhered to the ceiling of the cave. Its shell is lighter and resembles the rocks, camouflaging its presence into the environment. Scaling the walls also prevents it from being eaten by predators. Its mouth secretes a kind of mucus, which is collected by its sensorial organs and forms long and sticky wires, responsible for the adhesion of particles that are suspended in air. After some time, the smaraslim collects the wires and feeds from the particles contained on them.

For security reasons, the smaraslims go down to the cave floor for copulation. When laying its eggs, the female secretes a great amount of mucus over the shell of the male, depositing her eggs on it. The mucus guarantees that the eggs remain hydrated during their development. The male stays on the cave floor while it waits for the mucus to stiffen and adhere to its shell, guaranteeing that the eggs will remain there. After some time, the smaraslims scale again. When born, the offspring leave the protection of the shell and initiate their life.