FRIC — Viewing Species: Saltvine

This bulb has a long, writhing black vine sprouting from it. It appears to do best when left be on top of the ground, instead of being planted directly into it. While freshwater suffices, it seems to vastly prefer saltwater instead.

Eventually the vine outgrew the bulb from which it sprouted, and now takes to burrowing through the ground. It much prefers soft substrates, with a particular fondness for sand especially. It doesn't often poke its head out of the ground if there's nothing unusual going on. Care must be taken when walking around the vine though, as it will attempt to latch onto feet and objects that pass by. If it feels particularly threatened, it will stir up a massive cloud of substrate before burrowing away to safety.

Saltvines live beneath the black sand of the Chroma Coast, where they blend in and absorb saltwater during the changing of the tides. When disturbed they will latch onto whatever they believe may have tried to dig them out of the ground, while staying largely underground still. If they are forced out of the ground, they respond by manifesting and gathering salt to form a giant head that resembles a creature it believes will intimidate their attacker. This tactic works well on less intelligent creatures, but not so much on sapient ones and researchers. As a last resort, they will attack directly by launching salt until they feel they can easily escape.

When kept in captivity, Saltvines will burrow their way into any sufficiently loose substrate. Sand and saltwater are still the optimal way to keep them healthy. If kept in other conditions, they will have to be supplemented salt in some way, and readily take to simple sources such as table salt and coarse sea salt. If surrounded by many people or creatures, they will whip up their signature salt head, but won't attack unless disturbed. When curious, they will use many of their longer offshoots to grab and examine an object. They are very easily distracted by flashing lights, and particularly anxious individuals can be calmed down with such distractions.