Skutterchuck

The Skutterchuck is an insect-like enemy that has a black wafer-like body with an orange underside. It has a habit of picking up certain objects, similar to dweevils. Some of what Skutterchucks pick up and throw are crystal nodules, small corpses, and collectibles, Pikmin, and leaders. It uses its odd shape to scoop them up and carry them around, and also for throwing its load at an approaching enemy. Because Skutterchucks are so flat, they can squeeze into tight horizontal spaces if they can reach them.

The Skutterchuck is mainly passive, but when a leader or group of Pikmin gets close, it will try to attack. It attacks by picking up and throwing crystal nodules at its targets. It will also use its crystals as cover when being attacked, with the only Pikmin type that can break through being Rock Pikmin. When not attacking, Skutterchucks wander around in a small area, searching for nearby crystal nodules and picking them up if they have none, or fold in their thin legs and lie dormant on the ground with their crystal as protection and camouflage. If a Skutterchuck has no crystals to pick up, it will pick up and throw Pikmin and leaders into the air instead. If the crystal a Skutterchuck is holding breaks, it will quickly scurry away.

Alph's comments

 * "Structural flaw: back / Weight: 3 / It carries a heavy crystal on its back to throw at enemies, and I knew going in that we would probably need Rock Pikmin to break it. I worried that doing so would cause dangerous shards to explode outward, but fortunately, my imagination proved to be deadlier than reality. A missed design opportunity, if you ask me."

Brittany's comments

 * "All that strength, and the best it can do with it is carry around some big crystals. A better idea would be carrying my stuff. If I could tame— Wait. It would throw my stuff all over, wouldn't it? Never mind."

Charlie's comments

 * "They're like walking catapults, the way they hoist those crystals and launch them as if they were mere pebbles. A crafty adversary might lure them into launching the stones at each other, or themselves. An adversary like me!"

Louie's comments

 * "An acquired taste, but really quite addictive once you get used to it. No special preparation necessary."

Olimar's comments

 * "Its main offensive strategy is to launch the crystal it carries on its back. Otherwise, it's completely defenseless. In most circumstances, it's a peaceful herbivore whose diet consists primarily of moss. When in danger, however, it wastes no time defending its territory by breaking small rocks and hurling them at the threat. In order to ensure it has a steady supply of rocks with which to defend itself, it shares its habitat with calcified crushblat larvae, so it can make use of the shells they cast off each night."

=In fanon games=

In Pikmin E
The Skutterchuck returns in Pikmin E, now called the Bomb Flinger, where it can throw bomb rocks and can only be found in areas with holes in the ground.

In Pikmin Eco
The Skutterchuck is a returning enemy from Pikmin 3 in Pikmin Eco. Much of its behavior mirrors that of Pikmin 3: it able to throw crystal nodules at its aggressors when threatened. These though are slightly smaller, and found in groups much of the time rather than the singular individuals known in Pikmin 3.

In Pikmin Z
The Skutterchuck appears in Pikmin Z. It can carry and throw bomb rocks.

Biology
The Skutterchuck has learned to throw more than just crystal nodules in self-defense. It may also pick up and lob bomb rocks that have been dropped by Careening Dirigibugs.
 * Diet: ???
 * Predators: ???

Piklopedia entry

 * "The Skutterchuck must've decided a more dangerous lifestyle if it wanted to use bomb rocks. That, or it is an evolutionary response to the increasing abundance of bombs in the area. Guess if you live in a minefield, you're going to have to make the best of it."

Strategy
Wait until the Skutterchuck throws what it has, then swarm it. It may even kill itself with its own weapon if it is manipulated to.

In Pikmin: Wide World
The Skutterchuck is a relatively common enemy in Pikmin: Wide World. Much like it could in Pikmin 3, a Skutterchuck is able to throw crystal nodules at Pikmin and leaders, but it can also throw other objects such as bomb rocks and their variants, boulders, eggs, ice chunks, snowballs, sweetgum pods, and even small enemy corpses. When there are no such objects around, a Skutterchuck will instead pick up and toss Pikmin and leaders. Most objects that land after being thrown by a Skutterchuck often either break, such as eggs, or become active, such as bomb rocks. Boulders, corpses, crystal nodules, ice chunks cannot be destroyed no matter how many times they are thrown. Snowballs become damaged as they are thrown and eventually crumble.

Skutterchucks appear as they did in Pikmin 3. It is a flat, black, cricket-like creature that has orange eyes and walks on a pair of insectoid legs.

The most effective way to eliminate a Skutterchuck is to coax it into throwing an object it is holding, charging Pikmin at it as a counterattack while it is defenseless. However, when in groups, it is important to prioritize removing objects the creatures cannot destroy by using them to attack. Throwing a single Pikmin onto a Skutterchuck's back while it isn't holding anything will kill it instantly. Upon defeat, a Skutterchuck will produce. On the surface, its body can be taken to either the Dolphin Lander to earn or the Master Onion to gain three Pikmin seeds. Underground, their bodies can be brought to the Lander Pod to either immediately receive or be saved for later to gain three Pikmin seeds when the surface is reached using an escape geyser.

Olimar's notes

 * "During my last visit to this planet, skutterchucks seemed only to throw crystal nodules, but during this visit to PNF-404 they have shown to be able to use more objects than just those. They are even willing to throw nearby corpses, but fortunately, it seems they can only lift bodies that are as large as a dwarf bulborb's. Skutterchucks will also resort to using bomb rocks to defend themselves, making them extremely dangerous. However, skutterchucks seem to have no regard for the danger explosives hold, and often die from them."

Shacho's notes

 * "These bugs seem like they can do much of the heavy lifting at Hocotate Freight. Maybe they can be trained to set things down instead of throwing them..."

Marie's notes

 * "I'm usually no fan of bugs, but skutterchucks are really super cute. They're timid creatures when they're caught defenseless, but if you show them you mean no harm, they'll begin to open up to you. Over time, a skutterchuck will begin to trust their owner and return their affections. They usually do this by playfully tossing their owners into the air, which can hurt the poor creature, the owner, or both depending on where its owner lands."

Louie's notes

 * "Although the meat requires no special preparation besides being cooked, its shell still has to be cut through to get to it. Be warned, though, that its flavor can be very addictive."

Dolphin Lander's notes

 * "I don't mind these wonderful little creatures at all. I just hope that a huge skutterchuck doesn't come along and throw me up into the air."