Hoop Snake

A cautious serpentine monster making it's way through the spread-out forest patches of the Savannah. When in the safety of the acacia woods it slithers about, using it's massive tongue to hunt for insects, but when needing to move from one patch to the next, it uses a bizarre form of movement; it grabs it's tail and spins like a wheel, reaching staggering speeds.

## Appearance

It possesses a lizard-like build with a broad tail, short limbs and a shovel-like head. It also has a tongue that nearly half of it's body length long, which is covered with teeth and spines. It's colors most resemble that of the blue-tongue skink, with a bright blue tongue to boot.

## Abilities

While not usually a particularly energetic animal, it is capable of quick slithering and rolling about when threatened. It's tongue is incredibly powerful, being able to grab logs and smash them against aggressors, and it is even coated in a paralytic venom so that prey can't escape once caught. It is also capable of excavating the ground with it's tongue, launching debris at enemies.

## Behavior

This is a very skittish monster, preferring to run (or roll) from the hunter when seeing them. If properly engaged however they will throw everything they have at them. While equally wary of other monsters as well, they will happily engage any Neopteron monsters, even ones their own size. Their first action is always to try and intimidate first, and if that fails fight until they have an opening to flee. Their demeaner changes greatly between forested and open areas. In the cover of the woods they're as wary as usual, but while traversing between the different forest patches by rolling at high speeds, they are extremely skittish, trying to shake off any pursuing threats with quick turns, or trying to run them over if they're smaller.

## Interactions

They can be seen flipping logs and digging through dirt for bugs, be it mouthfuls of ants or large Neopteron grubs. When a hunter approaches them they will freeze up and flash their tongue at them as a warning. If the hunter approaches them during this, they will turn tail and run, unless hit which will prompt them to defend themselves, immediately leading with a tongue attack. If the hunter throws an item like a flash bug or other insect-related items during this at their tongue, the monster will actually drop it's defensive posture and slowly go back to what it was doing.

-Turf Wars:

## Combat

They employ hip checks, tiny claw swipes, bites and bulldozing tongue sweeps. They tend to roll to reposition, but will only switch to a more advance rolling moveset in open areas. They tend to do bites followed by grabs from the tongue, or hip checks followed by tail whips. After rolling their tail will be covered in their paralytic drool, causing any tail attacks to have a chance to inflict paralysis.

Their tongue is the weakest spot on their body, but also the most dangerous. Aside from that, their head is well-armored, and the rest of the body while not strongly armored is still reinforced with tough scales to handle the stresses of rolling around.

It's head and limbs can be broken, it's tail severed and it's tongue sliced up.

## Equipment

-What does it's armor and weapons look like and what do they do.

## Notes

It's based on the Hoop Snake, a fearsome critter said to travel around in the shape of a hoop, rolling downhills in chase of it's prey.

## Credits

Akity for the illustration and base concept, Matkoc for the folkloric inspiration.