Snavian family
The snavian family is consisted of serpentine bird creatures that bury themselves live underground and ambush surface dwelling prey. The Snavians, specifically Snagrets, are one of most diverse families after the Grub-dog family, having adapted to numerous climates and environments across planet PNF-404.
They are found or referenced in all three Pikmin games, often constituting boss fights. In Pikmin, only Burrowing Snagrets appear, in The Forest of Hope and in Challenge Mode. In Pikmin 2, they appear in greater numbers and variety, particularly in the Snagret Hole. Finally, a Burrowing Snagret also appears in Pikmin 3 in Twilight River, and in Mission Mode. "Snavian" is a portmanteau of "snake" and "avian", given their snake-like bodies and bird heads.
Members
Burrowing Snarrow
A creature mentioned by Olimar in Pikmin[1] and Pikmin 2[2]. This creature has not been seen in any game yet. It was recorded by Olimar to look almost exactly like a Burrowing Snagret, however it can be told apart by wing and tail markings when the two are pulled from the ground, as well as its blue hue in comparison to the Snagret. Even though its family is unknown, its relation to the other members of the Snavian family make it likely that that is its classification.
Burrowing Snagret
- Main article: Burrowing Snagret.
The Burrowing Snagret is an enemy in the Pikmin games that hides underground, waiting to burst out when Pikmin approach. They are able to quickly snap up Pikmin on the ground with their beaks. Although the Snagret's whole body is vulnerable, it sustains most damage when its head is attacked. When killed, it explodes, yielding many Pellets in Pikmin, leaving only its head in Pikmin 2, and leaving the entire corpse in Pikmin 3. In the second game, they are smaller and have lower health, making them less of a threat, and in Pikmin 3, if they miss a peck, their beak gets stuck in the ground momentarily.
Pileated Snagret
- Main article: Pileated Snagret.
The Pileated Snagret is a larger, rarer, and more dangerous species of the Snavian family. It has a green, scaly body, and a bright orange head. It is called "pileated" because it has a crest of feathers on its head, and its eyes are decorated by some eyebrow-like features. The Pileated Snagret behaves much like the Burrowing Snagret, but it is able to completely emerge from the ground and hop around on one clawed foot. This means it can chase its prey, and makes its head harder to reach.
References
- ^ “The bluish hue of its feathers distinguishes it from the burrowing snarrow.” – Enemy reel entry on the Burrowing Snagret
- ^ “The majority of snagret species lie in wait to ambush and capture prey, with a body type perfectly adapted to such sudden strikes. It violently attacks small, surface-dwelling insects. Distributed across a relatively wide range, subspecies of snagret suited to the varying soil conditions have emerged, making the snagret the most geographically represented species besides the bulborb. Visually resembling the burrowing snagret is the burrowing snarrow, the range of which partially overlaps with the snagret's range. While the two may appear similar, when pulled from the ground they can be distinguished by the presence or absence of tail and wing markings.” – Olimar's Notes on the Burrowing Snagret
