(Timeline Tuesday #174)
Pumptopi may seem like a type of sentient plant life, but biologically speaking this is incorrect. Technically, they are invertebrates, similar in many ways to the squids or octopi of our reality.
This species has a dark green body and features eight long, snake-like tentacles that creep out from its central mass. These legs are incredibly strong, with a sticky pad at the end of each one. Pumptopi employee these tendrils to maneuver about the world, but they are also incredibly dexterous and capable of using them for intricate, complex tasks. The species has been witnessed opening doors and using simple tools.
The central body of a pumptopus is hosted within a hard orange shell. This shell features holes for the creature’s mouth and eyes, and serves to protect them from predators. It also helps pumptopi blend in on our timeline, as it closely resembles a natural, carved pumpkin. This illusion is furthered by the fact that pumptopi glow with bioluminescence at night, creating an effect that’s eerily similar to an illuminated jack-o-lantern.
The species is carnivorous, but their natural prey are the small animals that often make a pumpkin patch their home, like snakes or rodents. They are active during the fall season, specifically the time leading up to Halloween until the day after Thanksgiving, then they hibernate during the winter, spring and summer.