Burrower (Metroid)

Burrowers are small, tick-like arachnoid organisms indigenous to Tallon IV. They have evolved to be capable of quickly burrow through a few inches of the earth, leaving a tiny mound of the soil pushed up as they move about, giving away their position. If they are predators or parasites, this would likely indicate that they prey on much larger creatures that would not notice this behavior, although their own predators are very likely to take advantage of it. When threatened, a Burrower will suddenly leap several feet out of the ground and spit an acidic spray at an opponent, which is most likely used to deter potential predators from eating them. They do not appear to have eyes and this likely explains the enormous antennae growing from their abdomen, which could be used to sense vibrations through the ground.

The species naturally exist in the Magmoor Caverns as well as what has become the Phazon Mines since the arrival of the Space Pirates on Tallon IV. The former biome location has apparently made them quite resilient to heat, and they are noticeably immune to plasma beam technology.