Startle Spore

Startle Spore
Appears in	Pikmin 4
Scientific name	Taraxacum fungenesus
Family	Chrysanthemum
Areas	Primordial Thicket
Caves	Engulfed Castle
Dandori Challenge stages	None
Dandori Battle stages	None
Attacks	Eat Pikmin, spew Poison

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The Startle Spore is an enemy introduced in Pikmin 4. It has a similar appearance to the Creeping Chrysanthemum, but it mimics red mushrooms instead of flowers. It hides as a cluster of said mushrooms, with its eyes being the only thing differentiating it from the true mushrooms. When a Leader, Oatchi, or Pikmin come near, it hops up and attempts to attack them with its long, poison spewing tongue.

Stats

Weight	Max. carriers	Seeds	Value	Health
10	20	12	× 12	2000

Behavior

A Startle Spore hides partially underground, mimicking mushrooms. When something gets close, its eyestalks will turn to look at its target, while a dramatic sound plays. It will hop out the ground, knocking over anything on its body. It shakes off Pikmin by inflating its cheeks and throat. Almost immediately, it will launch out its tongue to eat Pikmin, leaving a splatter of Poison on where it landed, which can only be traversed safely by White Pikmin or Oatchi when he has the Sniff Saver. It will eat any Pikmin who get stuck on its tongue, but it will hit itself with said tongue and be stunned for a bit if it catches no Pikmin. It can also catch the player, but will regurgitate them instantly. When its prey is close, it will take chase, but it will re-enter hiding if its prey strays far away, returning to its original spot.

Strategy

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Notes

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Dalmo's Notes

“These don't just mimic a growth of mushrooms for the fun of catching you by surprise-they also use the opportunity to spread poison around quite indiscriminately. But that's just this little darling's idiosyncratic method for catching its prey. We could learn from the way nature embraces such unique and varied creatures.”

Olimar's Notes

“The defining characteristics of the fungi that grow from its head differ from that of the Chrysanthemum family's Creeping Chrysanthemum, but the makeup of the body out of which they grow is mostly the same.

As a result, we can theorize that like fellow Ambuloradicis the Bulbmin, this species is not an evolutionary variation, but that the body is a parasite that has nestled inside a group of mushrooms. Because the hosts are mushrooms, the Startle Spore cannot photosynthesize. Instead it gains nutrients by catching its prey with highly poisonous fluids, or by absorbing the nectar in the ground left behind as creatures killed by its poison decompose.”

Naming

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Naming

See more: Chrysanthemum family#Naming.

• Common name: Startle Spore. It would most likely startle players by hiding as mushrooms, and mushrooms produce spores. Note that it has a similar naming scheme to its relative, the Creeping Chrysanthemum.
• Japanese nickname:
• Japanese name:
• Scientific name: Taraxacum fungenesus.
• Internal names: BIKKURIKINOKO
• Prerelease: Unknown

Names in other languages

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Language	Name	Meaning

Gallery

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Trivia

• The Startle Spore, much like the Creeping Chrysanthemum, shares a genus name with the Dandelion even though they are in separate families; in real life, this is impossible, as different species cannot be in the same genus and different families. This is likely a mistake.

See also

Creeping Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemum family