Bloodsap Melontree: Difference between revisions

Despite their defenses, the melontrees are not entirely immune to the various threats of the island. One in particular, the lithe, worm-like rustyblood [[scuttlers]] (Scuttleresta rubigoso), will often burrow their way through the thick skin of these trees, leaving corkscrew-shaped holes in their wake. They do so as they seek the softer, more tender "flesh" within, as well as the stores of fluids contained there. This often results in burrowrot, a disease that is, for the most part, superficial only, yet often leads to further sicknesses as other species utilize them to bypass the sap and such.

Some opportunistic parasites that utilizes these burrows include the crimson scissorjaw [[microkruggs]] (Kruggetica omnomnomus) and the kingmortis [[sappro]] (Saproutine infernalis). The former often hollow out entire sections of melontree interiors in order to make their colonial nests, while the later causes the disease known as blackrot. This disease is caused by the sappro stealing away too many vital fluids and nutrients from its host, causing cells to die and causing the trunk to develop black splotches of weakened, necrotic flesh. Thankfully it is often only a passing illness in older individuals, which often manage to fight it off by increasing the toxicity of their sap for brief periods of time. A costly investment, but it helps to prevent their own deaths.

Various blutgut [[sapworms]] (Sporewormus spp.) often infest the branches of this species, gorging themselves on the bloodsap they produce, which in turn gives them a brilliant red color. They often take the place of [[sapshrooms]] which, somewhat surprisingly, have failed to establish themselves on melontrees so far, likely due to the bloodsap itself being toxic to them. Whether or not they will eventually evolve adaptations of their own to overcome this hurdle is unknown as of now.