Creature (X-Files “Detour”)

The Creatures were beings which appeared in the series 5 episode Detour of paranormal television show The X-Files. It should be noted that the Creatures were never given an actual name in the series.

Description
Humanoid in form, the Creatures possessed a tough, bark-like skin, whose pigmentation they were capable of adjusting in the manner of a chameleon in order to blend in with their surroundings. Although this made them very difficult to spot their glowing red eyes could give them away; for this reason, when on the hunt the Creatures remained very still and kept their eyes closed, presumably relying on their other senses to alert them to the presence of prey.

Special Agent Mulder theorised that the Creatures were in fact the evolved descendants of Spanish conquistadors who had gone missing in Florida 450 years previously whilst searching for the Fountain of Youth, although the only evidence for this appears to be the words “Ad Noctum” carved into a tree deep in the forest.

History
After a series of disappearances in the Apalachicola National Forest of Florida, a young boy and his dog emerged from the woods and were followed home by one of the Creatures. Luring the boy‘s mother outside before attempting to kill him, the monster was interrupted by the arrival of Agents Mulder and Scully who were assisting the local police. Following the discovery of human-like footprints inside the boy’s home, and deducing that the Creature had followed the boy home as it felt that its territory had been invaded, the Agents recruited the aid of a Forest Ranger and a technician equipped with a FLIR system then headed into the woods in search of the Creatures. Getting lost in the woods, the group was quickly whittled down and Mulder badly injured before Scully shot and killed one of their assailants.

Soon after, the survivors were rescued by a search party, but by then the body of the Creature had mysteriously vanished. The end of the episode showed that there was at least one more of the Creatures however, as it had followed Agent Scully back to her hotel room and hid under the bed before she left, presumably intending to attack her later.