Gossamer Lizardworm

The gossamer lizardworm split from its ancestor the cunning lizardworm. It has now specialized in eating small invertebrates. It has developed a 2nd toe on their back legs so they can better grip the branches of the trees they climb on. They are ambush predators and will sit waiting for prey to pass by. Their purple and pink coloring help them blend in with the local flora.

To catch prey they have developed silk glands on their former mandibles that shoot sticky gossamer at prey. They only have a limited amount so they must be careful how much they use. To keep its prey from escaping it will use its front limbs to wrap up the prey. They can even save it for later. They have 4 eyes and each can work independently so they can focus 2 eyes on their prey while the other pair lookout for larger predators.

Their jaw grows chitin teeth which constantly grow and replaced the old ones. When biting through the exoskeletons of its prey they typically loose at least one tooth. Like their ancestor, their tails are prehensile and help it hang on to branches as well. They are very stealthy and somewhat intelligent. They use this intelligence to sneak up on prey or find prime locations to wait.

As they grow they must shed their exoskeleton. During this time their new exoskeleton is very soft so they will create burrows to hide in for this purpose. They are also cold-blooded. This means they can last for longer periods of time between meals however they must take time to warm up. Luckily this is not too long in the tropics. However they can easily overheat and must seek shade in their burrows to cool down.

They mate during the "dry" season, which is not very dry but has less water than the flood season. Males will fight over females by trying to bite each other. The male who dominates wins the right to mate with the female. The female will then lay a brood of up to 25 eggs in her burrow. Once they hatch they must go off on their own. They are not social creatures and only meet to mate.