This giant amphibian is a menace in many tropical swamps and coastal regions. A huge ungainly hulk, the engulfer's thick hide often becomes overgrown with marine plants which in turn entrap debris so that over time it comes to resemble nothing so much as a mass of waterlogged debris. The engulfer has a huge craggy skull, so much so that it is slow and clumsy when moving. Swimming, or crouched partly out of the water to entrap prey coming to drink, it relies on its camouflage to enable it to get close. Then it will make one great ungainly hop and open its enormous mouth, attempting to swallow prey whole. If not, its myriad tiny razor sharp teeth usually suffice. The engulfer has a long, prehensile tongue, with which it grabs for targets beyond its normal reach. Prey dragged with its maw are rapidly overcome by the release of a noxious secretion that it stores in sacs in its mouth. In extremis, or if very hungry, it can expel this as a noxious blinding cloud to disable an opponent or as a cover for retreat. Engulfers are normally 11/2 to 2 metres in length, but huge specimens twice that size or more have been seen. These are easily big enough to swallow human-sized prey whole.
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