sea lions being pinnipeds instead of lions, prairie dogs being rodents instead of dogs, titmouses being birds instead of mice, and most insects with the word 'flies' in their names being unrelated to actual flies). In real life, however, some species of animals have names that are different from what they are (e.g.Despite its name, the Spore Mantis does not resemble an actual mantis (lacking the trademark clasping forelimbs) and instead looks more like a stick insect.A Spore Mantis can be seen quickly fleeing a Skullcrawler in Kong: Skull Island. The Spore Mantises' muscular appendages allow the insects to run across the ground at great speed. The jaws of the Spore Mantises are built for crushing the bones of their prey. However, they exhibit a remarkable survival strategy whereby, in the face of encounters with larger and more formidable predators such as Skullcrawlers, they willingly relinquish their acquired sustenance. Spore Mantises engage in predation upon prey species that are either smaller or comparable in size to themselves. A Spore Mantis seen fleeing a juvenile Skullcrawler in Kong: Skull Island suggests that the insectile monsters can easily fall prey to the ravenous amphibians if not careful. Their bark-like skin can repel bullets from rifles. Within their large log-like bodies, Spore Mantises are granted basic protection against weather and smaller predators. When lying dormant against the ground, Spore Mantises resemble fallen trees. The wooden tree-like bodies of the Spore Mantises allow them to blend in with the surrounding forests.

Spore Mantises are among the creatures hunted by Raymond Martin in the Hollow Earth before he is confronted by Kong. Upon spotting a juvenile Skullcrawler approaching from behind Chapman, the Spore Mantis turns and flees, leaving Chapman to be devoured by the Skullcrawler. After startling the Spore Mantis, he fires several rounds at the insectile monster as it looms over him. Jack Chapman encounters a Spore Mantis while trying to navigate through Skull Island on his own. ― Monarch Creature Profile History Kong: Skull Island Our cryptobiology department appreciates the transparency. The digestive system uses a protein-rich sap to digest and encase the bodies of its prey, before excreting the remains, perfectly preserved as crystalline amber droppings that clearly reveal what it has eaten within. Housed within an epidermis of bark and vascular tissue, the Spore Mantis' trunk is host to a large, slug-like parasite with spiked teeth and bone-crushing jaws. The General Sherman tree might have the record in terms of height, but then again the General Sherman can't get up and hunt you down. These appendages allow the Spore Mantis to scuttle across the ground at alarming speed.Ī new king of trees has been crowned. The limbs of its bark-skinned body house a powerful muscle system that is a unique interweaving of striated tendons and fibrous structural tissues more commonly found in the stems and roots of trees. Like most of Skull Island's fauna, they appear to fear the Skullcrawlers, and will flee at first sight of the reptilian monsters.Ī gigantic precursor to the Phasmatodea order, the Spore Mantis is, in essence, a stick insect the size of a mature redwood tree. They can also be very aggressive when startled. Spore Mantises remain camouflaged until their prey is within the right distance to attack. The roars of Spore Mantises are insect-like and very high pitched despite their size. Particularly noteworthy are their prominent mandibles, akin to fangs, which serve the purpose of bone compression and crushing. These creatures possess diminutive heads that possess the remarkable ability to retract into their log-shaped armor. Their body structure comprises six legs, each encased within a bark-like integument. Spore Mantises exhibit a striking resemblance to elongated stick insects, albeit significantly magnified in size and enveloped by a protective exoskeletal covering reminiscent of bark. Sylas is derived from the Latin word silva, which means 'wood' or 'forest'. Phasmid is derivative of the Phasmatodea order of insects. The name Spore Mantis is likely a reference to the creature's flora-like and insectile physiology.

Spore mantis