Merdlidop

Merdlidops are a race of semi-sapient sinkhole-dwelling creatures native to planet Koozebane.

Biology
Merdlidops are small, but seemingly long vermiform-like creatures, covered in pink fur and have a cone-shaped head, a wide, permanently frowning mouth, and eyes located on long cylindrical hollow sockets. They possess humanoid arms with mitten-like hands, allowing them to grab and manipulate objects, and can expel jets of steam from the top of their heads with a whistle sound. If a member of another species falls into the Merdlidops' burrows, they are apparently assimilated by the species and turned into Merdlidops within seconds. If a Human is assimilated by the Merdlidops, they will gain a tall mass of pink fur atop their heads, replacing their hair. It is unknown what other aspects of their biology are altered, although they adopt the behavior of the other Merdlidops.

Behavior
The intelligence level of this species is still unclear, but they are assumed to be semi-sapient at least, as they know how to operate simple devices and can easily evade and otherwise outwit Humans. Like the Yip Yips', the Merdlidops' language seems to consist mainly of one word, in this case, "Merdlidop". These mischievous creatures often pop out of their burrows and steal or break objects from casual space travelers, also striking them if threatened, as well as trying to pull them underground if grabbed. When not disturbed, Merdlidops commonly pop out of the ground, say "Merdlidop", expel jets of steam from their heads, and laugh, all in musical fashion, allowing newly-assimilated members to join in.