Sandshell Strider

The Sandshell Strider is a species of sturdyshell that lives under sand dunes.

=In fanon games=

In Pikmin Evolution
The Sandshell Strider, or simply the Sandshell, is a species of sturdyshell appearing in Pikmin Evolution. They are large, tortoise-like creatures with brown and orange shells and bright blue eyes. They are found mainly in the Bleached Dunes, though they also appear in a few dens as well. They are found underneath the titular sand dunes of the Bleached Dunes. Larger dunes that release clouds of sand are ones inhabited by one of the creatures. The Sandshell, once dug out, is actually not a hostile creature, as it's purely an herbivore that eats seeds and roots and not plant-like creatures like Pikmin. It is, however, irritable, and often performs tantrums as it walks across the desert dunes before digging into a spot to rest once again. The reasoning for this is the clumps of sandstone on its shell causing it discomfort.

To make the Sandshell Strider less perturbed, its shell can be cleaned of sandstone with Pikmin attacks. Its shell is large enough to be walked on and sturdy enough to withstand any major blow from even the weight of Alloy Pikmin. However, Alloy Pikmin are still the best type to use when cleaning the shell of this creature as, if its shell is not cleaned in a timely manner, the Sandshell will spin around and scatter nearby Pikmin everywhere, necessitating gathering them before pursuing it again. Logically, having a Pikmin type that instantly shatters the sandstone is very helpful, but prevents being able to collect chunks of it, which are worth a lot of sparklium. Once the sand is totally removed, the Sandshell will be very grateful and dig up a shard of pristine glass, a very rare material used in several recipes and used to upgrade multiple buildings in settlements. Afterward, the Sandshell Strider burrows back into the ground, content with the help it received. Overall, despite the massive build of this reptile, the Sandshell Strider is ultimately a gentle giant deep down.