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Cave Basilisk — Description
The Cave Basilisk is a member of the Basilisk family that resides within the Underworld (Though this is only according to us surface dwellers). This species carries the same limb arrangement and oral eye as the rest of its brethren, but has changed itself to adapt to a cavernous habitat. Their bodies are unusually squat and stocky compared to other basilisks. Running along their back and tail are thick bony plates that give it an impenetrable shell. With these two traits combined, the Cave Basilisk is an extraordinarily sturdy creature that is difficult to injure and dislodge. Predators will have a hard time reaching its unarmored underbelly, as it will uses its many legs to clamp down and lock itself in place. With heavy armor plating, any attacks from above or the side are nearly useless. This species has even been seen surviving rockfalls and tunnel collapses, as the boulders bounce off its shell.

When it comes to hunting, Cave Basilisks are foraging predators that search the tunnels and caves for prey. Though some may find them fearsome looking, this species only really eats rodents, small reptiles, insects and other bite-sized prey. To find food, it uses its snout and fangs to poke through rock piles and vegetation. It hopes to either flush out prey or stumble upon a hiding morsel. They will also sniff out small holes and openings in the stone, where small prey may be hiding. If they locate food there, they will use their hardened fangs to dig through the rock an reach their meal. Surprisingly enough, Cave Basilisks do not use their fangs for downing prey, rather they serve as digging implements! Instead of injecting venom, they secret a substance that softens stone and makes it ease to chip and chisel. With this, they can slowly carve their way through stone, either in pursuit of prey or in an effort to make a nest for their eggs. If their dinner tries to flee, they can use one of two weapons. One is their long armored tail, which serves as a hefty flail. By whipping it at prey or foes, they can bludgeon a target and beat them senseless. The other option is using their oral eye, which is quite different from the eyes of other basilisks. While theirs require eye contact to work, the Cave Basilisk's oral eye does not. This is probably because a large number of species down below do not have eyes, which would make such a weapon mostly useless. So instead, the Cave Basilisk has special muscles that allow them to activate this eye whenever they want. Upon use, the eye will release both a blinding flash of light and a high pitched blast of sound. Both of these are used to disorient prey, blinding those with eyes and deafening those that rely on hearing. This will slow prey for a bit, which gives the Cave Basilisk time to crawl up and nab them. This eye also works well in driving away predators, assaulting their senses until they retreat in search of easier meals.

While I refer to this species as Cave Basilisks, that is not their only name. To the denizens down in the Underworld, this creature is no basilisk. In fact, they did not have any idea what a basilisk was until they came to the surface! They had no way of knowing that this beast had fellow brethren that shared its adaptations and designs! So to them, this creature is referred to as a King's Toad. It got this name due to its crown-like horns and its short squat body. So if you go down below and start calling this species Cave Basilisks, none of the demons or shades will have any idea what you are talking about. You can imagine the confusing argument I had with my guides when we both tried to talk about this species!

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian