Steel-Toe Helix
H. caudex descends from H. pessulus, the first fully-terrestrial Helix species. Caudex takes this a step further.
Due to the extinction of P. forensus, Helix species had turned to preying up P. ipsumsemenous. Growing up to 4 feet and spreading its seeds along the ground, it was much smaller than its ancestor (P. forensus). As a result, the climbing abilities of pessulus no longer offered a notable advantage.
Instead of sharp claws, caudex features rounded, hoof-like structures on the tips of its feet. These hooves allow it to drag itself along the muddy soil of Zone F in search of seeds. Like its shell, the hooves are primarily made of calcium carbonate.
Its ancestor, pessulus, relies on clustering and O. laspimorphus in order to retain moisture. Driven by their strong sense of taste, Helix species tend to congregate on the same polyph and can quickly consume a large number of seeds. When all seeds have been consumed, they are forced to wander blindly until they encounter more, which puts them at risk of drying out by making the cluser disperse. Caudex deals with this through a unique adaption: Similar to its distant ancestor H. bullous, it has chambers inside of its shell for holding moisture. Where bullous held water it picked up from the shore, caudex collects moisture from the air with the help of specialized organs. Air enters its shell through a porous, fleshy membrane, leading to one of multiple chambers where the moisture is extracted.This is used to keep from drying out, as well as passed over its gills for respiration.
Caudex preys upon the seeds of P. ipsumsemenous as well as P. ipsumpellicius, which it seeks out using its tentacle-like, taste-sensitive tongues (see ancestor for depiction). Like other Helix species, caudex grows to a shell diameter of approximately 4 inches.
When it comes to reproduction, caudex doesn't bring anything new to the table: It is capable of both asexual and sexual reproduction. However, asexual reproduction is more common due to the inefficiency of their sexual reproduction methods while on land. When sperm is released, there is no water for it to dissipate into, so it simply oozes onto nearby Helix. As a result, most specimens fertilize their own eggs rather than having them fertilized by another, although it still happens occasionally, facilitated by Helix's strong numbers and tendency to congregate.
