Desiccated Skitter Leaf

Desiccated Skitter Leaf
Appears in	Pikmin 3
Scientific name	Unknown
Family	Skitterling
Areas	Distant Tundra, Twilight River
Mission Mode Collect Treasure! stages	Shaded Garden
Mission Mode Battle Enemies! stages	Thirsty Desert, Shaded Garden, Twilight River Remix, Beastly Caverns
Side Story days	None
Bingo Battle stages	None
Attacks	Eats pikmin

The Desiccated Skitter Leaf is an enemy introduced in Pikmin 3. It is a hostile Skitterling, contrary to the harmless Skitter Leaf. It disguises itself as a withered leaf. It scuttles around with great speed, and can snatch a Pikmin with what appear to be claws and devour it within a split second. These creatures are usually found in the Twilight River, as they are camouflaged almost flawlessly by the dirt and fallen leaves. In Mission Mode, they are found in larger groups, typically around 6-8 per group, posing more of a threat. It produces noises similar to those of a Skitter Leaf, but its sounds much more aggressive. Also like the other Skitterling, upon death, it slowly floats to the ground, and produces a soft noise. It is easy to carry, requiring one Pikmin, and unlike the Skitter Leaf, it is useful for Pikmin cultivation, producing three sprouts.

Notes

Pikmin 3 Website

"It may look like a leaf, but this critter is just using camouflage to trick its prey."

Pikmin 3 Prima Guide

"Like the standard Skitter Leaf, the Desiccated Skitter Leaf uses its leaf-shaped body to blend into the environment. However, this enemy not only utilizes much better camouflage, it uses its spiked forelegs to slice through any Pikmin it manages to capture.

When you spot a Desiccated Skitter Leaf, toss a single Pikmin on its back to defeat the creature before it manages to attack. Each time you reach a patch of brown leaves, take a moment to search for any enemies that may be hiding within it."

Behavior

Although they are agile, Desiccated Skitter Leaves are extremely frail, and will die instantly if a Pikmin is thrown on top of one. Winged Pikmin are the only exception because they can crush a resting Desiccated Skitter Leaf, but not an active one. These creatures can snatch and eat Pikmin quickly, so if one is on the attack, caution must be taken.

Strategy

The following article or section contains guides. The strategies shown are just suggestions.

In most cases Desiccated Skitter Leaves are not hard to spot lying on the ground, and it is best for you to defeat them while they are still in a resting state; one Pikmin of any type will defeat it if landed directly on it. If these creatures are found in a group, you should either play hit-and-run and take them out one at a time, calling the Pikmin back as soon as it is thrown, or approach with a large group of Pikmin and throw quickly in hopes of defeating all of them before any casualties can occur. If any Bomb-rocks are in the area, you could consider using one to minimize chance of loss, but this is not recommended in most cases, as Desiccated Skitter Leaves are never too much of a problem to deal with on your own.