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Ice Slime — Description

It really goes to show you can never assume what is or is not possible with nature. Any theory or idea can't be accepted as is, research is required! Even if the proposition seems blatantly obvious, a concept so straightforward and absolute that it would be foolish to think otherwise! But we have to think otherwise! We have to challenge it! Why? Well, it is not because we hate the idea....okay, well there are some that I do hate and thus am ready to throw down over it, but the main goal is to pursue the truth! We have to research to be sure of our conclusions, to make sure we didn't miss anything! Yes, it may be silly to stick your head outside every time someone claims the sky is blue, but ya know, some times you should actually check! We must be diligent in our work and also be prepared to make alterations or corrections when things change or we find we are wrong! It is through this that we find answers and learn from our mistakes! This is also how I learn that slimes can exist in frigid environments! Not too long ago, I would have sworn it impossible! They would freeze solid! But guess what? I decided to look into it and yowzas I was wrong! Ice slimes exist and now I get the joy of learning and have a hole in my knowledge filled!
I am sure there are others out there just as flabbergasted as me learning about this. "You mean those piles of goo can exist out in the ice and snow?" You would think not, just like me, but it turns out they can! Honestly, I am kinda kicking myself for underestimating slimes, as I have gone off before about how incredibly adaptable they are. I guess I was holding onto the idea they had some weakness, some environment that even they couldn't conquer. Plenty of species out there that have such weaknesses, it isn't me wishing ill for slimes! You can't be perfect at everything, but those slimes are starting to make me question even that statement!
As you can imagine, ice slimes are found in icy environments, places that stay frigid for most of the year. Frozen forests, tundras, ice shelves, you name it. If a slime colony has reached such a place, then there is a chance ice slimes may be there. It may be hard to tell, because they kinda blend into their environment! They look a lot like the ice around them, kinda clear or even a lightish blue depending on the lighting. Their soft, blobby bodies you are familiar with are more jagged and angular now, looking like a shambling piece of ice. Maybe that is one of the reasons ice slimes are so rarely known, because you mistake them for scenery! But what is interesting here is that these pointy, icy bits aren't just the slimes mimicking the shape, as they actually allow their outer layer of slime to freeze! Or at least partially. It would seem they have some sort of chemical or something within them that prevents their slime from fully freezing. But they then lessen the amount of it in their outermost layer so it hardens into a jagged protective shell! It makes me curious about what they have inside of them that prevents freezing from occurring.
Oddly enough, I wonder if it has to do with the weird note I saw in some research that said ice slimes have a "sweet" flavor to their slime and expulsions. They taste....sweet? Weird! No clue how someone learned about that, but it has made me curious! Goodness, is my encounter with an ice slime going to be me trying to taste one? That isn't going to look good. Edit: Recent research into the subject of ice slimes has allowed me to learn about the fellow who noted that they taste sweet. As it would turn out, those were kinda his last words before he died. It would appear the fluid has some poisonous property to it, so rest assured that curiosity I mentioned earlier is good and gone now! Don't eat ice slimes! Okay, now I just sound a different kind of crazy..
So ice slimes develop a semi-frozen outer shell, which serves as a defense, but gives enough flexibility for them to move, absorb food or expel fluid from makeshift orifices. It should be noted that ice slimes are not fast, moving at quite the sluggish pace. Their "foot" has more anti-freezing fluid in it, keeping it more liquidy for slithering about, but it still isn't fast. This is partially why they have such a look, as they rely more on ambushing prey then chasing them down. Their glacial pace makes them hunker down in a certain spot and wait for food to come close to them. Obviously, the areas they stake out are where animals are highly likely to pass by. When they get close, the ice slime will lunge forth and try to consume them. In some cases, this works and the victim is swallowed by the icy mass. But there are times they do not have the speed to catch their opponent off guard. This is when their second tactic comes into play.
Ice slimes are capable of spewing a clear fluid onto those that approach them, essentially soaking them with spit. If you are expecting it to be poisonous or have some crazy effects, you will be disappointed. This isn't dragon's breath or anything. Studies have shown it is mostly water, with their digestive enzymes added to it. So it is slightly burning water, which doesn't sound like it would be strong or anything, but wait! Remember you are in a frozen environment, which is one of the last places you want to get soaked in. Though it isn't as impressive as venomous spit or lightning breath, it is actually a clever weapon! The acidic water gets onto prey and eats through the fur or feathers they have to keep them warm. Many creatures in these polar areas have a special layer or arrangement of hairs that prevent water and cold from reaching their skin. The spit of the ice slime destroys these and gets the animal wet, which is a surefire recipe for frostbite! It is the equivalent of tearing a hole in your winter sweater while standing in a blizzard. Prey is stripped of their protective coating and exposed to the elements, which means certain death if too much has been lost. At that point, the ice slime knows the jig is up for its victim and begins the slow pursuit. Food may run, but they will fall to the elements eventually. And when they stumble in their steps, the ice slime will be there.
Like all slimes, ice slimes eat their food by swallowing it whole and slowly digesting it over a period of time. However, ice slimes may actually pause in their meal and save some scraps! After an ice slime has fed, there may be remnants of its meal still suspended in its body, looking like some frozen corpse. We just assumed the ice slime hasn't finished eating, but it turns out this is actually done on purpose! Ice slimes use the cold and their goo to sort of preserve a portion of their meal and display it to the world. The point is that other creatures may see the meat and believe they have stumbled upon a leftover carcass. This encourages them to approach, giving the ice slime another shot at a meal! Pretty crafty! And a little morbid. Can you imagine just seeing the frozen remains of a colleague within a chunk of "ice?" And then you get too close and wind up joining them! I feel like I am already halfway to a horror story there, it certainly is chilling, but I shan't write such dreck! It will only give ammunition to the worst folk!
Ice slimes are an interesting adaptation for the slime species, as they live in an environment where one would think an amorphous being could not survive. Begs the question of if there even is a biome they couldn't survive in? Can slimes truly live in any place? Is there no limit to their creativity and adaptability? The question is a fascinating, but dangerous, one. Right now I would just like to focus on how cool it is that they have achieved this!
I should point out, since the confusion has arisen quite a few times: ice slimes do not generate cold. They live in icy regions, but they themselves do not create frigid temperatures. Folks believe they can fire off ice beams or be living glaciers, but this is not the case. Take an ice slime out of the arctic and plop them in a warm sunny field and they would be about the same temperature as the air. That and they might die. Honestly, I don't even know what would happen to them when put into a hot biome. They wouldn't melt, but would their adaptations cause issues? That sweetness of theirs may attract a whole lotta bugs though, which could be good food or a recipe for parasites. But regardless, don't expect these slimes to be the next big thing for cooling. They aren't living ice boxes, and honestly would eat anything you tried to store in them. And they typically aren't all that friendly, as freezing biomes are pretty harsh and call for one to eat anything they come across. It is either that or starve. So they aren't very chatty or sociable, with them very likely to give you the cold shoul- Entry over - E.R
Chlora Myron
Dryad Natural Historian
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Bout time we had ourselves another slime! And this is one that was brainstormed between me and @detectOplasm !