SS: Prism Toad

Been awhile (and despite me drawing these forever and ages ago) but finally a new species for Spectra-Saga~! Every time I intended to post these little critters up, I kept forgetting to so might as well do it now >uO;;;

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Species: Prism Toads; also known as Crystal Toads and Lucky Toads

Behaviour:
Prism Toads are very quiet, reserved creatures who aren't always the easiest to spot because of their reservedness; burrowing deep into mud or dirt and coating themselves it in so you never know if there's one nearby unless you step on it by mistake
While they're rather reserved, they can get angry surprisingly fast and can spit mildly corrosive poisons and acids and sticky slime from glands in their mouth that can cause awful rashes that don't get any less painful without anesthetic or antidote. They also secrete this same poison/acid from their pores, making it very hard to pick them up if you find one. If someone is struck by the poison multiple times in a single area, it can get extremely painful and can require medical attention. Their acids can blind someone very easily if it gets in the eyes, though it is reversible and not permanent; despite being able to last quite long without proper attention
Prism Toads can keep their bodies warm by absorbing sunlight and other light through the crystals growing on their body. However, because of this adaptation, they can overheat very easily as well and dry out. To prevent this, they make their habitats deep in the earth, and cover themselves with dirt and mud to stay cool in extreme temperatures
Prism Toads have very powerful legs and jaws; making them both stronger and faster than they seem upon first glance. They use these jaws to crush and swallow things such as large insects, small fish and shellfish. They also use their legs and jaws to make tunnels in the earth; using their corrosive acids to soften the ground or their slime to pack it in place if it's too soft. They're very fast when it comes to swimming and use water to their advantage to avoid enemies.
Prism Toads do not mate for life and either gender of Prism Toad can have multiple mates at a time (though it is typically the males to do this, with multiple females)
If they cannot find a mate, they will take a mate of the same gender, due to the ability to change their gender if required for breeding. Prism Toads mate in the late spring and early summer, using warm pools of water.
Prism Toads carry their babies in their mouth, along with water depending on the stage of their babies' development
Prism Toads don't only supply themselves with warmth by absorbing the sun with their crystals, but also use them to attact mates. At night, their crystals- as well as the smaller ones along their legs and the spots on their skin- light up in bright, almost neon colors and frog songs can be heard.
Prism Toads only have feeling in their crystals where they meet their flesh; meaning that their crystals can be cut and carved either off their back, or even into shapes while remaining on the toad. They typically break off upon reaching anywhere from 8 to 15 centimeters in height, and have been known to vary in shape upon reaching these lengths.

Diet: Prism Toads mainly eat an assortment of insects, though their diet can consist of various types of small plants, fish, and even shellfish. In ponds and burrows, they've even been known to eat roots and algae- as well as moss. They are omnivorous, but tend to gravitate towards carnivorous diets; even being known at times to resort to becoming carrion and feed of cadavers in times of need and food shortage

Racial Differences/Diet Differences:

Prism Toads from Ronullia are surprisingly burly and meaty compared to the ones of Grewkek and Bolrene; being the most likely to consume larger bugs and insects- including scorpions and other desert beasties that may be smaller than them- and also the most likely to resort to feeding off of cadavers and resorting to cannibalism (never consuming their mates, past mates or offspring however, which shows a good level of intelligence in them) They burrow deep into the sand and make large, spanning tunnels with their sticky saliva holding the walls in place, as well as making a large ball of sand upon entry and exit to block the entrance to the burrow and destroying it with their acid to get out and in. Their tunnels are very strong and very big. Sometimes, if the sand where they burrowed is thin enough or there's a crack in the entrance, you can see colored light exiting the tunnel; just as you can if they've burrowed under the mud in a pool of water. The constant exposure to the sand and rough winds has make their skin very leathery, tough, and smooth.

Prism Toads from Grewkek are typically made up of lean muscle, as they spend much of their time jumping around in the greenery and foliage to catch insects. Their diets are primarily made up of these insects, so their muscle in their legs is incredibly important. They've also been known to catch rodents smaller than themselves. They tend to only make their burrows underwater, and spend much of their time burrowed under the mud whenever they're not catching insects. Prism Toads from Grewkek are also the most social, compared to the ones from Ronullia or Bolrene, and also the most fertile. They can take up entire lakes; making the entire body of water glow at night. Their skin is very damp and occasionally bumpy where crystals aren't growing, but generally smooth like the ones from Ronullia.

Prism Toads from Bolrene are the hardiest of the three- as to be expected- with the most fat and solid muscle and tendon; using this strength to cave in patches of frozen earth as well as the corrosive properties of their saliva, they make burrows in the frozen earth and eat any roots or burrowing insects that may be living beneath the frozen layer atop the ground. Most of their burrows are located under rocks or even under man-made objects. Prism Toads from Bolrene spend the most time simply lounging in the sun, and most of them are able to preserve the heat stored by their crystals for when it's most desperately needed. Their diet consists of small rodents, insects, roots and moss, and are- like Prism Toads from Ronullia- likely to resort to eating off of cadavers and resorting to cannibalism if the situation is dire

Medicinal Uses:

Surprisingly, Prism Toads are completely unable to get sick, and their acids, slimes and poisons can be uses to make antidotes for a multitude of afflictions and various medicines; being known as one of nature's cure all's.
Their poison can be made into antidotes, as long as it's properly combined with other ingredients and their acids can be used to clean wounds quite efficiently, as well as stop blood flow. Its acid can also be turned into an anesthetic when properly combined a well, and can be used in unison with their slime to fade scars by promoting the growth of new skin cells and dissolving old scar tissue.
Their slime has natural bonding properties and- if spread over a wound- will fill the wound and stop the wound from bleeding, as well as keep the wound efficiently closed until the slime dissolves with exposure to heat and hot water- as well as the possible use of acid- and the wound closes and heals.

Prism Toads can be kept alive for this and it's better if that is done, for a single, live Prism Toad can create large amounts of acid, slime and poison as long as they're healthy and calm

Gender Differences:

Female Prism Toads are significantly bigger; due to being the ones to carry the young around on their backs or in their mouth
Female Prism Toads are much more aggressive; with stronger legs and stronger jaws, while males have stronger acids and poisons, making them more suited for both pets and help with medicine
If either undergoes a gender change, they remain the same size and color but undergo hormonal changes, making it harder to tell which toad started out as what. A Prism Toad only looks after their young during the tadpole stage and- regardless of gender- they'll carry the tadpoles in their mouth if danger makes itself know; even if they can only save a small batch of their young (another reason for multiple mates)

Additional Facts:

They are known as Lucky Toads due to being incredibly hard to find and catch, and also because finding their crystals is said to bring good luck and fortune
One of the ways to neutralize their acids contact with skin is to covered the afflicted area with mud. This is also the easiest way to pick them up and get them used to you, as mud has a calming effect on them and will keep you from coming into contact with the secretions from their skin.
If you have a calm demeanor, and have been around other Prism Toads, there is a chance that you will be able to pick the Toad up without your hands covered in mud... Though it's recommended, in case they spook (which they do very easily; especially those who have just switched genders for breeding)
A Prism Toad only looks after their young during the tadpole stage and- regardless of gender- they'll carry the tadpoles in their mouth if danger makes itself know; even if they can only save a small batch of their young (another reason for multiple mates)
Domesticated toads are much more docile, but still spook very easily. Mud is still a good way to calm them, as well as cutting their crystals down
Prism Toads of all origins can be found anywhere around and in the lake, burrowed under the mud with their crystals showing, which makes them easier to catch if you know what to look for. They're even easier to find at night when it's raining, since their crystals are glowing at that time, and they're most active when raining.

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I'll be posting more wildlife soon so keep an eye out! <3

Prism Toads (c) Me!
(c)