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This is the talk page for discussing improvements to the Graboid article. | |
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"So Graboids can produce anywhere from 3-6 Shriekers depending on certain factors physically
for the Graboids and environmentally. Shriekers have to eat through the Graboid to get out
right? But Shriekers Multiply when they eat. So is there a chance that there is only 3
Shriekers in a Graboid but depending on how much each one eats while escaping determines
whether there is 3-6 in the end? So there only may be 3 in the beginning but when they come out
there may be up to 6 or maybe they only eat a little each making a small opening to get out
thus being only 3 in some cases?"
water controversy
It is possible that the "tongues" serve another purpose as well, namely for a drink of water. Maybe the "tongues" prehensile ability allows them to get a drink with out exposing their entire body. it was hinted that the graboids dig into water sources
Need to stash som data her for a bit
from the sci fi site
Genus Caederus is a lonely species. Its evolutionary path has left it no known close relatives, in no small measure because the voracious Graboid probably consumed its evolutionary cousins. Other weaker offshoots of the species probably fell victim to competition or predation from vertebrates, or to habitat destruction.
The Graboid species' evolutionary path has also left behind few recognizable fossils. The life of the early proto-Graboid, in wet mud or moist loose soil, would leave few impressions and fossil traces. Even where a loose collection of smashed Graboid shell might be found, its true origin would not be obvious to observers.
This lack of paleontological context, coupled with a lack of basic samples and evidence from the modern creatures themselves, means that many questions about this unique animal remain unanswered. Among these critical questions:
Is the Graboid the mature male, the AssBlaster the mature female, and the Shrieker a gender-neutral juvenile? Or is the entire species gender-neutral and parthenogenic?
Does the Graboid life cycle incorporate only the three forms so far observed, or is the Graboid capable of new life stages, mutations or adaptations?
Can a Graboid survive underwater? Is it possible the species burrows beneath the ocean floor? A more troubling question, however, lurks in the rarity of the species' encounters with humanity. If myths and legends of dragons, chimeras, etc., are actually ancient accounts of previous encounters with genus Caederus (see 7.0 - HISTORICAL AND MYTHOLOGICAL REFERENCES), why have there been such long intervals between outbreaks? Do Graboids hibernate during these periods? Do they withdraw to some unknown and unobserved locale?
Naturally, the most pressing questions about Graboids are those that impact humanity's survival: Where will the next outbreak be? Have the documented outbreaks been isolated incidents, or is a widespread re-emergence of genus Caederus imminent?
Currently, our knowledge of the Graboid species is limited to the experiences and observations of those who have encountered it (particularly Burt Gummer and Earl Basset), and to a handful of poorly preserved remains. As of November 2002, there have been only four confirmed outbreaks of these creatures, each of short duration. Each outbreak has featured at least three or four full-grown Graboids, each weighing up to 20 tons. Worldwide, there is only one known living Graboid (El Blanco of Perfection, Nev.) and only one known living AssBlaster, further limiting the possibilities for study.
Yet study is essential if we are to continue answering questions about these mysterious and incredibly dangerous creatures. Indeed, a detailed threat assessment is impossible at this time; too many variables remain undefined. Genus Caederus might be nearly extinct and consequently of little threat. If Graboid outbreaks are rare, and not much larger than those we have seen, then it is likely that the threat to Americans and other technologically advanced countries will remain minimal.
If, however, a much larger outbreak occurs (and the resulting Shriekers are able to multiply unchecked), then the entire human race might be confronted with a catastrophe on a par with a virulent plague or a small asteroid strike. While the worst-case scenario seems unlikely (after all, if genus Caederus was able to overrun the planet and eradicate humanity, surely it would have done so at some prior time, when humanity was less able to defend itself). Still, without further study, it is critical to stress that no possibility, no matter how farfetched or dire, can be eliminated.
Final note: If a large, voracious predator such as the Graboid can take the modern scientific community by surprise — as it inarguably did — then it might be worth considering the possibility that other, equally fantastic creatures exist as well. Perhaps the Yeti really does wander the Himalayas, as the Sasquatch supposedly roams the Rockies. Perhaps the Chupacabra lurks in Central America. If the Graboid can exist undetected for millennia beneath our feet, what other mysteries await discovery in the lightless depths of the oceans or the untrodden paths of the wilderness?
If we do not wish to be surprised again, then these oft-marginalized phenomena deserve less ridicule and more sincere attention than we have given them in the past.
http://web.archive.org/web/20040623151558/www.scifi.com/tremors/monsters/analysis/08_conclusion.html