Groganch

A Groganch is a large tree-like creature in Metroid: Other M, taking the shape of both a giraffe and a spider.

It resides in three locations within the Bottle Ship; a marsh-like area in the Biosphere containing several large trees (the area is initially a rainforest, until a Holographic Generator is deactivated), again in the Biosphere within a long corridor, and a section of the Cryosphere filled with stone archways, just outside the Materials Storehouse.

The bioform consists of six spidery legs and an avian head resembling Ridley's mounted on a thin, jointed neck, joined together by a central core which is adorned with a large, orange bulb on the underside. The creature's skin is very similar to that of tree bark, letting the creature blend in easily to forest environments.

Battle
To defeat a Groganch, Samus must target the large bulb with Missiles or the Power Beam, and after enough damage the creature will flip itself over and begin to fire explosive globes from the bulb (now located on its back), which Samus can either dodge or shoot before they reach her. Continuing to shoot the bulb (either by entering Search View, or by climbing nearby terrain) will eventually cause the Groganch to flip over again. This cycle will repeat until it dies, at which point the bulb will turn a greenish-grey color and the creature collapses. Its body will not disappear, but remain in the area it fell until Samus leaves the room.

Samus in the Cryosphere Drifts
"Sector 2 of the Bottle Ship was called the Cryosphere, and its sub-zero temperatures sustained many recognizable Zebesian life-forms. One was new to me - a massive creature with a spiderlike body that lobbed globes containing noxious gas. As I first encountered it in the Biosphere, it was obviously adapted to many environments."

Trivia

 * In the Biosphere, a glitch will occasionally cause the Groganch to become "stuck" against a pipe bundle and walk endlessly without ever actually changing position. This makes the creature rather easy to defeat, as Samus can fire on the bulb while remaining out of range of its projectiles.
 * In a corridor in Biosphere, there are two Groganches that are much larger than the others behind glass that cannot be reached, but they can be killed once the Wave Beam is obtained. Killing them offers Samus no reward, though, and they respawn once Samus leaves.
 * The Groganch's bulb resembles a Kashh Plant, and is shared by the Dragotix.
 * It's possible that this may be a reference to Half-Life 1's Gonarch, as they share a similar weak point and name.
 * The Groganch's dual plant-animal nature is shared by another Biospherian creature, the Gripper. However, it is unknown whether the two species are at all related.