oh worm? (ID: zJMbQ)

Grouping: Reptilian

Tunnelwyrm live within caves and mountainous areas, borrowing their way through the earth to get from place to place. Their rock-hard heads aid them in this venture; if they cannot easily burrow their way through something, they will use their heads, along with the sharp spikes protruding from them, to break through tougher substrates. The patterns that adorn their long bodies are utilised to make predators and prey alike dizzy, as the wyrm frantically gyrates to create a sensory overload for all looking directly at it. Larger food items are torn into more manageable chunks, but smaller prey is most typically swallowed whole.

Their thick, coarse manes are something of a curiosity. They do not appear to aid them in their day-to-day lives, but they are presumed to perhaps be used as part of mating in some way, be it a display to seek out a mate or an indicator of desirability. Finding a sleeping Tunnelwyrm in the wild is extraordinarily difficult, but ones raised in captivity are very comfortable with sleeping out in the open if someone they trust is nearby. When sleeping, they coil themselves up tightly, sometimes even making a raspy snore.

Artwork: Wymsical