Rootroosting Slapvipe

The Rootroosting Slapvipe is the first boss, and later recurring miniboss, encountered in Pikmin: Shipwrecked Stargazers, first fought at the bottom of the Fang Chute. This large serpentine creature is primarily orange in color, with a scaly hide, short limbs, a blue, forked tongue, beige eyes with slit pupils, and a translucent, purple, inflatable sac on its head. The snake slithers around its arena before suddenly charging at Pikmin and leaders, with its mouth open. The creature will consume Pikmin during its rush and knock away leaders, but its fangs keep it stuck in a wall it impacts, temporarily opening it to attack.

The creature's back is protected by cream-colored scales, and as such, is impervious to attack. Its orange skin is best attacked when its fangs are stuck. Deflating the Rootroosting Slapvipe's purple sac deals moderate damage, although the creature will die if enough damage is done to it upon inflation. The sac inflates when it spits venom from its fangs, an attack used in battles after White Pikmin are discovered. The creature slaps away nearby Pikmin and leaders using its whip-like tail.

Olimar's notes

 * "The rootroosting slapvipe is often considered the poster child of the pyscute family, the creature's skin is made of placoid scales, not unlike that of fish. The slapvipe gains nourishment by hooking onto tree roots via its large fangs and sucking the energy from them. Old, rotted trees in otherwise healthy forests are likely housing these snakes. Rootroosting slapvipes guard their trees so that no other parasites, even other rootroosters, can steal from their nursing trees. The vestigial limbs and inflatable sac seem to have little purpose."

Louie's notes

 * "This reptile boasts an earthy flavored meat that feels right at home in quinoa."