Stalker

The Stalker is an aggressive life form belonging to the fauna category. Most of them populate the Kelp Forest. It can also be found around the Aurora in the Crash Zone.

Occasionally, Stalkers can be found swimming into the Safe Shallows while chasing Peepers or other small prey.

Appearance
The Stalker is a rather large creature, possessing an elongated, fusiform body with smooth skin. Its head features a long snout greatly resembling that of real life crocodiles, alligators, gharials and gars of the genus atractosteus.

On its back protrude seven dorsal plates running along from neck to tail, as well as two pectoral and pelvic, purple-tipped fins on each side, and ends with a broad, fluked tail.

The Stalker's dorsal side is blue-gray in color and patterned in dark blue and purple, with a bright green and aqua underside.

Behavior
The Stalker seems to have a fondness for Metal Salvage; it will approach the object, pick it up with its mouth and start flailing it around for awhile. Doing so will not only displace the item, but will sometimes leave behind a Stalker Tooth. These teeth are required for creating Enameled Glass, which is needed to make a Cyclops and other useful items. Stalkers will sometimes place metal salvage in a certain area with other pieces.

Being predators, Stalkers will attempt to chase and eat nearby Peepers and other small prey. They will also attack the player upon close encounters, with each bite dealing 30 damage. The player should be cautious while exploring Kelp Forests to avoid getting attacked by surprise, as Stalkers often form small groups that will lurk in the dense Creepvines.

At night, beside being more difficult to spot, Stalkers become more aggressive and have a wider aggressive radius, so it is advised to avoid swimming near Kelp Forests at night without adequate protection.

Stalkers can be found guarding or lurking near their eggs, and will attack if the player gets too close.

Stalkers can grab Camera Drones, including ones housed in their sockets on the Scanner Room and will carry them in their mouth similarly to Metal Salvage. During this time the drones are incapacitated and can be taken out of their maximum range, rendering them unusable.

Stalkers will also collect ores, should the player drop it near them.

Interactions with the Player
It is possible to temporarily placate a Stalker by feeding them any kind of catchable fish, or by giving them metal salvage. Doing any of the above will pacify the creature for a short while.

After being fed, the Stalker will not only become peaceful towards the player, but it will also start looking for metal salvage, pick it up, and drop it at the player's position as a gift. This behavior can also be extended the more fish the player feeds it.

Keep in mind that this "tamed" behavior is only temporary. The period of submission can be extended by offering the predator more fish or salvage.

Gallery
For a more complete gallery, visit Stalker/Gallery.

Trivia

 * As of 14.12.2014 the model of the Stalker was changed. Until then, the model of the Lava Lizard was used.


 * The Stalker was also listed as Snout Shark in development documents.
 * Stalkers and Lava Lizards are currently the only implemented creatures that do not have some degree of bioluminescence.
 * Initially, when still designed with the old entity model in mind (the current model of the Lava Lizard), Stalkers were intended to "sleep" under sand and erupt from it when disturbed by sounds. This also tied in with their intented blindness and affinity towards lava. Whether this behaviour will ever be implemented, to the Stalker or the Lava Lizard, in any way, is currently unknown.