Maroon Snowworm

The Maroon Snowworm has grown significantly in the forests of Snow Island. Plentiful food and barely any predators make it a paradise for grazers. The Maroon Snowworm has grown to 16 centimeters long and has become far more robust in its build. Its antennae have become stronger and are now able to tear open crystals provided they can get them between the crystal and the internal mycelial network. They have developed flexible sections of their body segments which they can articulate forward and backward to pull themselves forward. This has allowed the body segments to become more connected and for them to mostly abandon the expansion and contraction of body segments as their ancestor did.

They have also developed a more passive way to deal with their growing exoskeleton. The exoskeleton will become thin and flaky in its outer layers and naturally fall off. Rubbing against rocks and vegetation assists in this but the flakes will fall off on their own even if not actively removed. This assists in both dealing with the constantly growing exoskeleton and helps guard against disease and easily repair any damage to the exoskeleton.

The Maroon Snowworm have taken to reproducing in fresh water rather than in salt water. The lakes and rivers of Snow island are relatively barren save for microbial life, and thus make the perfect nurseries for the Maroon Snowworm’s young. The only competition occurs between them and other species of Snowworm in the area. They build the nest by making a depression in the substrate and line it with detritus found in the water. All the Maroon Snowworms in the area will breed in the same set of nests and will leave a single adult to guard the nest for the 10 days it will take for them to hatch. The young are then abandoned by their guardian and will continue developing in the water for another 3 weeks until they have developed enough to leave the water, not to return until they breed as adults next year. Maroon Snowworms can live for 5-6 years and remain fertile until death.