Morid Louse

### Anatomy

Morid Lice have wide, round bodies like platter-shaped dishes with a barrel-shaped underbelly covered in bands of hard chitin and a back covered in barbed pikes and quills supported by four legs with strong, two-toed gripping appendages on the ends. Three large, red-tinted eyes dot the face area of the louse's body. Vestigial mandibles hang down under the bottom two eyes. The base of the back spikes are embedded deep into a blood-drinking membrane which excretes special acids which dissolve bone down to a sponge when later hardens into a protective armor of fused bone matter while the liquefied flesh and blood is absorbed into the body and later disposed of as waste through the mouth.

### Genetics and Reproduction

Morids reproduce through a specialize system of spores and polyps. Between the armor bands of the underbelly of the Morid are a number of branched organs which produce spores when an adult Morid reaches the end of it's life cycle- typically this period comes when a Morid can no longer move and begins starving. These spores are released at high altitudes and typically land down in the lower altitudes of their mountain habitats. When the spores land, they begin adhering to a surface and growing into a sort of polyp that produces one to three larvae which have soft shells but a hard internal skeleton connected to the barbed spines on it's back. The spines allow Morid larva to cling to the fur and skin of larger animals as they pass and once embedded to the flesh of a passing animal, a Morid will be carried up to greener elevations where said animal feeds. The larva will leech blood from the animal until it's so large that it detaches under it's own weight from the animal's skin and begins it's journey back up the mountain to begin the cycle again.

### Growth Rate & Stages

Morids begin as a sort of spore which travels down on high altitude wind currents until it lands in a more inhabited region nearer to sea level. Then the spore grows into a barnacle-like polyp that produces the Morid Larvae which then slowly malt into fully fledged Morid adults.

### Ecology and Habitats

Morid Lice inhabit high altitudes such as mountains and cliffs where they can feed  on falling animals and birds who get stuck on their back spikes.

### Dietary Needs and Habits

Morid Lice feed almost exclusively on blood and carrion with some mosses and other flora that grow on their bodies during dormant periods surviving as sources of nutrients and hydration.

### Biological Cycle

Young adult Morid Lice have the ability to become dormant when their food supplies are low, preserving energy until they're passive feeding methods present them enough nutrition to begin actively roaming once more.

## Additional Information

### Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Morid Lice see in light and dark with a limited range of depth. Morid Lice primarily locate through hearing and pressure sensation using the spines on their backs. Morid Lice have a basic sense of pain and no chemical sense of pleasure. Morids to not communicate outside of basic clicking noises emitted from their mandibles and feet, rarely interacting with one another and never interacting socially with other species.