Chomper

Chomper is a name used in fiction to designate predatory creatures and carnivorous plants. The term is applied across various media to describe beings characterized by strong jaws and a rapid biting action, often adapted for ambush predation or sudden bursts of movement.

Across different depictions, chompers vary in form. Some are stationary, plant-like predators with a wide mouth that swallows prey whole. Others are mobile, animal-like predators with burrowing, scalable, or armored bodies. Common features include a large, chomping mouth and a bite mechanism that allows quick consumption of prey, followed by a period of recovery before acting again.

Habitats commonly cited for chompers include jungles, swamps, caves, deserts, and alien landscapes. They typically feed on small to mid-sized creatures and may rely on camouflage, ambush, or scent-based lures to attract prey. In some stories, chompers are solitary hunters; in others, they operate in packs or as environmental hazards within their ecosystems.

In popular culture, the term is best known from Plants vs. Zombies, where the Chomper is a large carnivorous plant that bites zombies and stores them within its mouth. The concept has also appeared in various books, games, and films as a generic predatory creature or as an alien swamp-dwelling predator.

Etymology: The name derives from chomping, the act of biting or chewing, and is used to convey the creature’s primary behavior.