The Licker β is a variant of the original Licker B.O.W. created by TRICELL and appears in Resident Evil 5.
History
After the downfall of Umbrella - creators of the original Licker B.O.W.'s - a high demand for Lickers developed on the global black market. Using Umbrella's development data, which was provided by Albert Wesker, TRICELL produced their own Lickers and enhanced them by administering injections of the Progenitor virus. This resulted in a creature that possessed greater resistance to firearms and the ability to reproduce at an impressive rate. Even after TRICELL's downfall following the Kijuju Incident, Licker β's continued to be produced and used by other criminal groups and rogue states.
Biology
The visual differences between the standard Licker and the Licker β are few. They retain the same quadrupedal body structure, have no skin, no eyes, and their limbs each end in a set of large talons. Their tongues can extend to greater lengths than their predecessors and are still capable of impaling or decapitating humans. The creatures' brains are still partially visible, but to a lesser degree. Shots to the brain are less likely to kill a β than a normal Licker due to the hardening of the head tissues.
Betas are still blind due to a lack of eyes and rely on their extra-sensitive hearing to track prey. Their claws allow them to crawl on walls and ceilings and their hardened musculature allows them to take more damage than their predecessors. A new weakness has developed in this version, however: the increase in muscle mass has caused the creature's heart to become exposed. Since Lickers move on all fours, striking the heart is no easy task. However, shooting a Licker in the head can cause it to topple on to its back briefly, allowing combatants to strike with a knife while it is stunned. A single stab with a combat knife is enough to kill a Beta instantly.