How would the anatomy of a metal-eating bug work out?
Background:
The creature is bug-like, and similar to an armadillo in size. Its diet consists of metal, and is found underground in large colonies. It uses the metal it ingests to:
- Enhance it's shell and claws, distributing as needed.
- Expel any excess/inferior metals as a refined alloy with a unique mixture of metals (depends on what they've eaten, and what their shell is made of).
They easily chew the metal, they are all born with super hard mandibles that shear the metal easily. However, the only issue I'm finding is how they would digest/distribute/retrieve metal in their bodies.
They live off of nutrients found in the rock around the ore, so they don't always eat to improve, but also to survive.
Restrictions:
This must be science based, and have backup claims stating (or showing!) that the system would work. I can stretch a little for some things, the systems don't have to be proven to work together, just individually.
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