Anatomically Correct Creeper

I am a huge Minecraft fan and just realized, this hasn't been asked before, so I wanted to ask a live-long (31. August 2009) question, and pay my obulus to the Anatomically Correct series.

I have done some research, and found this picture:

_{source: https://img2.minebook.me/gallery/63097_creeper.jpg}

So, these are the more specific characteristics that I am interested in:

• What substances or properties can cause a living being to spontaneously explode? (And I mean explode, not only combust)
• The Image above shows a connection of the brain to the explosions source, acting as a trigger. As the neuronal network functions by electric impulses, the trigger for the explosion has to be an electric charge, send by the brain.
• If possible, explain the (rather long) 1.5 second delay between the brains charge and the actual, externally noticable explosion. A possible explanation I found is, that the explosion is triggered by an impulse of pain. These are the slowest human impulses, traveling the human nervous system at 0.61m/s, taking 2.84 seconds to travel the 1.73m from top to the bottom of the creature.

Bonus Points for anyone who can give some plausible evolutionary explanation on why spontaneous explosions are a desireable trait for a species, andhow it could evolve.

posted over 7 years ago

T3 H40 - reinstate Monica‭

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