Biological / Choot
- Documented Designation
- Choot
- Taxonomic Class
- Small flat-bodied Zebesian glider
- Homeworld
- Zebes
- Confirmed Range
- Crateria, Maridia, and submerged routes bordering the Wrecked Ship
- Body Plan
- Green flattened dorsal surface, purple underside, yellow eyes, compact tooth-lined mouth, and flexible lateral membranes
- Primary Movement
- Abrupt vertical leap followed by a slow side-to-side controlled descent
- Resting Posture
- Body flattened against rock, sediment, or shallow submerged structure
- Probable Diet
- Small invertebrates and organic deposits taken at water margins; direct feeding remains undocumented
- Threat Response
- Leap clear of the approach line, glide beyond immediate reach, and bite only if intercepted
- Related Form
- Shares broad structural traits with Chute Leech but has a distinct glide-specialized adult pattern
- X Record
- A blue rough-skinned X imitation produced acid globules and must not be conflated with the native form
- Current Status
- Native population presumed lost with Zebes; X copies eradicated aboard BSL
Executive Assessment
Choot was a small flat-bodied organism native to several wet and transitional regions of Zebes. At rest it pressed close to stone or sediment and presented almost no vertical profile. When disturbed it sprang upward, spread its body, and descended in a slow lateral sway that carried it beyond the immediate approach line.
The species was neither a sustained flyer nor an aggressive pursuit predator. Its principal defense was the rapid conversion of a hidden ground posture into three-dimensional movement. Personnel most often came into conflict with a Choot by standing inside the launch or descent path rather than by being actively hunted.
Flattened Body Plan
The green dorsal surface was broad, flexible, and supported by radiating cartilage. A purple underside held the mouth, attachment musculature, and softer respiratory tissue. Yellow eyes on the leading region remained nearly level with the ground when the animal was at rest, allowing observation without raising the body.
Thin lateral membranes did not function as powered wings. They increased surface area during descent and could be tensioned asymmetrically to change direction. Compact spring muscles beneath the center supplied the initial leap; gravity and airflow performed the rest of the movement.
Dormancy and Concealment
A resting Choot flattened every flexible edge against the local surface and reduced respiratory motion. On mineral-stained rock, wet sediment, or corroded structure, the resulting outline resembled a sheet of debris or low growth. The posture conserved energy while keeping the animal ready to launch.
Dormancy was not complete sensory withdrawal. The body detected nearby vibration through its ventral surface, and the eyes tracked movement across the exposed approach. A rapid change in shadow, pressure, or substrate motion could trigger a leap before direct contact occurred.
Leap and Sway Glide
The launch began as a sudden vertical contraction. At peak height the body spread and entered a controlled fall, rocking from side to side as the membranes exchanged lift and direction. The sway reduced descent speed while making the final landing point difficult for a larger animal to predict.
Choot could not remain aloft without losing elevation, and enclosed rooms limited the path severely. Ledges, drops, and open water margins were therefore ideal habitat features. A single launch could move the animal across a gap or down to a sheltered surface that a ground-bound pursuer could not reach safely.
Range and Habitat
Confirmed sightings occurred in Crateria, Maridia, and submerged routes near the Wrecked Ship. These locations combined irregular resting surfaces with open vertical space and persistent moisture. The species tolerated immersion, but underwater movement produced a shorter, more resistant glide.
Choot distribution suggests a preference for environmental boundaries rather than one narrow climate. Shorelines, flooded ruins, drainage ledges, and humid cave mouths all offered cover at rest and a useful descent route when disturbed.
Feeding and Ecological Position
The tooth-lined mouth could seize small invertebrates, scrape soft growth, or gather organic deposits along wet surfaces. No direct feeding sequence survived, so the species is best treated as an opportunistic microfaunal feeder rather than assigned a specialized prey animal.
Its resemblance to Chute Leech indicates a broad structural relationship but not an identical life cycle. Chute Leech specializes in falling contact from above; Choot uses a ground launch and passive glide. These opposed movement strategies may represent divergence from an older flattened amphibious form.
BSL X Imitation
An X imitation encountered aboard BSL copied the Choot outline but displayed blue roughened tissue, a steadier descent, and periodic acid release. Those properties belonged to the mimic's reorganized body and are not evidence that the native Zebesian host produced acid.
This separation is operationally important. A native Choot is primarily a collision and bite hazard; an X copy can deny space during descent with corrosive globules. Color alone is insufficient for identification, but skin texture, glide rhythm, and discharge behavior distinguish the records.
Containment and Field Doctrine
Surveyors should scan flat surfaces from an oblique angle, where eyes and mouth produce a more visible outline. Once a Choot launches, the team should track its descending arc and leave the landing point clear. Pursuing it beneath low ceilings only creates repeated crossings.
Containment requires a low resting shelf beneath a tall enclosed volume. Soft netting should intercept the glide without crushing the lateral membranes, and a shallow water basin should allow voluntary immersion. Normal specimens require no acid-rated enclosure unless X contamination is independently detected.