Shingo (Brachyukus liber)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Shailnitor
Habitat: Driftwood Islands Chaparral, Driftwood Islands Temperate Woodland, Driftwood Islands Tropical Woodland, Driftwood Islands Temperate Bank, Driftwood Islands Tropical Bank; Eggs and Juveniles Only: Driftwood Islands Tropical Lakes, Driftwood Islands Temperate Lakes, Driftwood Islands Tropical Shallows, Driftwood Islands Temperate Shallows
Size: 25 cm long
Diet: Omnivore (Opportunistic Predator (Plents, Ukfauna, Binucleid Worms, Anipedes, Tristages, Iron Fauna, and Carpofauna from 1 cm up to two-thirds its size), Raft-Building Cone Puffgrass, Pelagic Puffgrass, Mainland Fuzzpalm saplings and berries, Fuzzpile leaves and berries, Cocobarrage saplings and spore pods, Obsidibend saplings, Qupe Tree leaves saplings and fruit, Fuzzweed, Gumjorn stembuds, Baebula, Carnosprawl leaves and fruit), Scavenger, Detritivore, Coprovore
Respiration: Active (Lungs inside shell)
Thermoregulation: Ectotherm
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Eggs in Water)

In the newly-formed Driftwood Islands where there was little competition, the Shingo split from its ancestor, leaving the protection of the Seashrog. It has become the local opportunist, capable of feeding from a great variety of food sources in different circumstances. It has adopted a more strongly asymmetrical shell to place its hind leg further back, granting it a far more stable stance and gait. It island-hops through chance dispersal, as its eggs and aquatic juveniles are readily swept up and carried between islands by currents.

The Shingo has a long beak comparable to that of a generalistic bird such as a crow. It can use this to kill and eat small fauna, gobble up leaves and berries, and consume waste from other fauna such as dung. It readily eats carcasses and detritus, making its species the macro-level “clean-up crew” of this floating archipelago. It has a strong immune system to resist disease from eating dung and rotting meat. Though it might be regarded as a “dirty” creature due to its choice of food, it’s actually quite clean and doesn’t generally spread disease, even to other shailnitor species.

Like its ancestor and unlike most other uktanks, the Shingo does not depend on water to breathe and instead breathes air actively with lungs in its shell. It floats in water and can swim fairly well. It mates in the water and prefers to lay its eggs hidden among aquatic flora. It may lay eggs out in the open in the driftwood islands’ salt lakes, if there isn’t anything growing there for it to hide its eggs in. Juveniles gain terrestrial adaptations quickly and make landfall soon after, though some may be swept out to sea where they will drown or starve, assuming they are not eaten. Like its ancestor, the Shingo has a layer of dead skin cells filled with chitin to resist desiccation on land.

--

MNIDJM I think the ecosystem page may still need to be updated with the driftwood islands biomes. This shows my intent with the ones that are split between tropical and temperate versions.

Ornate Gumjorn (Cultercucurbita gigafenestra)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Gumjorn
Habitat: Dixon-Darwin Desert, Dixon-Darwin High Desert, Vivus High Desert, Dass Temperate Beach, Wind Temperate Beach
Size: 1 meter tall
Diet: Photosynthesis
Respiration: Passive (Stomata)
Thermoregulation: Ectotherm
Reproduction: Asexual (Budding)

The Ornate Gumjorn split from its ancestor and moved inland. It has gained many chitinous spikes extending from its shell, which not only protect it from potential predators but are also used for dispersal. When a creature bumps or falls into it, the spikes of the stembuds on top will become lodged in its skin and break off of their parent, and even if the victim removes them on the spot the effort required to do so will result in the bud being flung far away. As the spikes reduce the need for extensive shell covering, the shell has become more of a frame covering the organism, giving it bigger “windows” and granting even more open space for photosynthesis.

Like its ancestor, the Ornate Gumjorn’s bulbous stem is filled with water. Mature individuals are also filled with natural gum which oozes out to seal wounds and prevent infection or water loss. The gum can also smother small fauna which try to nibble their way into the plant. It has lost its air pockets, as it doesn’t use water for dispersal anymore. In order to take root more quickly, the bottom ends of the stembuds are heavier, causing them to passively right themselves as they roll. To avoid wasting resources with the much larger size of their “windows”, and since they no longer need to suspend their metabolism for months at a time, they no longer form “lenses” to cover their photosynthetic parts early in life.

The intense apostrophes in "'''in'''sects, p'''ter'''osaurs, '''bi'''rds, and b'''at'''s" are wiki formatting. On the wiki, it'll appear as "insects, pterosaurs, birds, and bats".

I've edited and clarified.

Shimmering Marephasmatises (Marephasmatis spp.)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Rainbow Marephasmatis
Habitat: Global (Sagan 4)
Size: 1-4 cm long
Diet: Planktivore
Respiration: Passive (Diffusion Through Skin)
Thermoregulation: Ectotherm
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Broadcast Spawning)

Replacing the Krakow and Colddigger population of their ancestor, the Shimmering Marephasmatises are modern representatives of one of Sagan 4’s most ancient and elusive lineages, the Marephasmatises. Though this lineage has produced more complex descendants, such as filtersquids and teuthopins, the Shimmering Marephasmatises are far more basal. They are radially symmetric, have no blood, and most of their interior is filled with non-living jelly, similar to mesoglea, which is used as a hydrostatic skeleton. The gut is blind and filled with a sticky mucus used for capturing plankton. They have only two cell layers, the endoderm and ectoderm, and they have a tail which tapers into a nematocyst-lined tip for self defense.

Shimmering Marephasmatises can be found all over the ocean, mainly in the twilight zone and lower sunlight zone, but some species may also be found as deep as the midnight zone where they rely on marine snow for sustenance. They are bioluminescent, shining light through tiny, symbiotic, color-changing crystal flora unrelated to any modern crystal flora species. In fact, these endosymbiotes are more closely related to those that make up the bones and teeth of spondylozoans such as shrews and snappers than even to the Binucleus Crystal Shrub. The color-changing lights can be used to communicate and deter predators. Microscopic reflector eyes surround the mouth and are used to sense the glow of other individuals, so that they may approach one another to spawn. Species in higher population densities, however, don’t bother finding and meeting up with others of their kind to spawn, as there will usually be others spawning close by already. They spawn from gonads located under their upper ring of fins.

There are many species of Shimmering Marephasmatis. Some only use specific sets of colors in order to identify members of their own species. Those high in the water column feed on various phytoplankton, while those in deeper waters may depend more on marine snow. Though usually either male or female, in some species there is an unusually high frequency of hermaphroditism, where they have alternating male and female gonads around their circumference.

Interbiat (Arthropterornitherium primus)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Brighteyes
Habitat: Dixon-Darwin Boreal, Dixon-Darwin Rocky, Dixon-Darwin High Grassland, Dixon Tropical Woodland, Dixon Tropical Scrub, Dixon Savanna, Javen Tropical Woodland, Javen Tropical Scrub, Darwin Savanna, North Darwin Tropical Scrub, North Darwin Tropical Woodland
Size: 40 cm long
Diet: Omnivore (Vermees, Whiskrugg, Minikruggs, Silkruggs, Gamergate Gundis, Teacup Sauceback larvae, Mikuks, Aphluks, Feluks, Supershrooms, Sapshrooms, Berry Arbourshroom, Tamed Berry Arbourshrooms, Kellace, Parasitic Floats, Boreal Tubeplage fruit, Gecoba Tree fruit, Tropical Gecoba Tree fruit, Bristlepile berries, Scrubland Tubeplage fruit, Cryobowl fruit, Hydrabowl fruit, Fuzzpile berries, Fruiting Grovecrystal fruit)
Respiration: Active (Microlungs)
Thermoregulation: Endotherm (Feathers)
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Bird-Like Eggs)

The Interbiat split from its ancestor. Though its ancestor was traditionally a glider, the fact that its wings were also its legs and the way it used them to parachute to some extent led to it developing a keel and powered flight. It has gotten smaller and therefore lighter, as it is still not yet a very strong flier. Its tail remains long, as shortening it would potentially mean reducing its lungs, which would be disadvantageous to flight. It uses both its tail and its ears as stabilizers in the air. Notably, to make it lighter, its pinnae are shorter; however, its hearing remains the same, as its ears now also have flight feathers on them which can funnel sound into its ears just as well.

The Interbiat is named for the fact that it has characteristics of all four lineages of Terran fauna which evolved flight: '''in'''sects, p'''ter'''osaurs, '''bi'''rds, and b'''at'''s. It has insect-like jaws and evolved from arthropod-like ancestors, it vaults from the ground and walks on erect wings like a pterosaur, it makes use of feathers instead of membranes like a bird, and it uses its ears as stabilizers and to generate lift like a bat.

Being able to see, the Interbiat’s echolocation ability has continued to diminish, though it is not yet completely lost, especially as the dark forests within its range can sometimes be difficult to navigate by sight alone. It can detect nine primary colors (six of them in the ultraviolet spectrum) andcan distinguish over 700 distinct mixed colors (including made-up ones comparable to magenta) using its “eyestrils”, as well as millions of colors in between. It uses flight to pursue prey and will fly up into trees to avoid predators. Though it doesn’t have proper grasping feet, it is able to balance on branches and rocks regardless using its hooves, similar to a Terran goat.

The Interbiat uses its beak-like jaws to consume various small organisms. It may rummage around in the dirt, grass, and leaf litter for vermees, kruggs, gundis, and teacup sauceback larvae, as well as gobble up shrooms and berries it finds around its range. It will also pick parasitic floats off of flora. When startled, it will leap into the air and take flight; it’s only about as good at flying as a chicken, so it can’t fly especially high or over long distances, but it can get into a tree fairly easily.

Like its ancestor, the Interbiat forms social groups that nest together. They nest on the ground, usually among trees or bushes where they are not too visible to predators, using leaves, twigs, feathers, and tufts of fur and plent cotton for warmth and comfort. Its leg feathers assist it in incubating its eggs and chicks. Like its ancestor, it lays hard-shelled eggs, but unlike its ancestor its babies do not hatch completely helpless; rather than larvae, they hatch as chicks covered in downy feathers which are already capable of running. This is because, being small and nesting on the ground, it is rather vulnerable to predation, so its babies must be able to run if they have to. This is similar to many Terran birds that nest on the ground such as chickens, geese, and ostriches.

The Interbiat takes on a dark coloration over most of its range due to the dominance of obsidian trees. However, there are subspecies which have lighter colors, such as yellow, to blend in with the ground in more open biomes.

Image caption: Yellow color variant

I do mean intuition; I chose that wording based on a comparison I saw between earlier humans and later ones in terms of how they gather materials for tool-making, with earlier species just getting any old rock and later species knowing intuitively to look for the good ones.

Seashrogs would somewhat resemble a juvenile or subadult wolvershrog in a shorter summer coat, though it's more "small shrog alone and cold" that activates the parental instincts than actual resemblance. Shrogs are smart and can tell the difference between their own kind and another species, as animals far less intelligent on Earth easily can as well.

The internal architecture would better resemble the nest construction of those ants that weave nests out of leaves, though with use of pillars to keep everything from collapsing. A lot of it is just logs laying around.

I may add an additional image to this later but it can be reviewed/approved without it

Wolvershrog (Lutrasorex frigora)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Seashrog
Habitat: North Jujubee Polar Ocean (Sunlight Zone), North LadyM Polar Ocean (Sunlight Zone), North Jujubee Temperate Ocean (Sunlight Zone), North LadyM Temperate Ocean (Sunlight Zone), Maineiac Polar Coast, Maineiac Polar Beach, Maineiac Temperate Coast, Maineiac Temperate Beach, Oz Temperate Coast, Oz Temperate Beach, Justin Polar Shallows, Bumpy Polar Coast, Drake Polar Beach, Soma Temperate Coast, Soma Temperate Beach, Ramul Temperate Beach, Drake Polar Scrub, Drake Taiga, Drake Temperate Woodland, Drake Chaparral, Drake Plains, Ramul Temperate Woodland, Barlowe Chaparral, Barlowe Temperate Woodland, Barlowe Temperate Rainforest, Maineiac Polar Scrub, Maineiac Volcanic, Maineiac Chaparral, Maineiac Temperate Woodland, Maineiac Temperate Riparian, Yokto Temperate Riparian
Size: 3 meters long
Diet: Carnivore (Nonessie, Magnificent Slaesosaurus, Bejeweled Emperor Scylarian, Blueback Scylarian, Ocean Scorpodile, Migrating Glowsnapper, Emperor Seaswimmer, Terrorfang Hafgufa juveniles, Umbrascale Lyngbakr juveniles, Viridimaw Lyngbakr juveniles, Cruelfang Hafgufa juveniles, Delving Lyngbakr juveniles), Frugivore (Mainland Fuzzpalm, Fuzzpile, Pilonoroot, Pilunoroot, Beach Piloroot, Qupe Tree, Fuzzweed, Mangot, Stoutplage, Fruiting Glog, Crystalfir, Greatcap Baseejie, Cryobowls, Maineiac Glasstower, Prutabula, Prutarbor)
Respiration: Active (Lungs)
Thermoregulation: Endotherm (Fur, Thick Fat)
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Placental, Pouch and Milk)

The Wolvershrog, sometimes also known as the Santa Claus Shrog, is a large shrog which resides in north temperate and polar waters. It is notable for its great strength, which allows it to catch massive prey, and the great size of its floating nest. In order to survive in polar environments where large flora can be rare, it has the intuition to travel further inland for wood and materials to construct and repair its nest, resulting in it being present in more biomes than one might expect. It also hunts much larger prey than its ancestor did. The Wolvershrog’s second common name, in addition to matching its fat and fluffy appearance, comes from its interspecific empathy. Occasionally, Seashrogs will be brought further north than they are normally capable of thriving by the ocean’s currents. When this occurs, especially during a harsh winter, Wolvershrogs will sometimes find them. The appearance of a Seashrog, even an adult one, activates a Wolvershrog’s parental instincts; though Wolvershrogs are fully aware that Seashrogs are a different species, they are nonetheless very relatable due to them being closely related. The Wolvershrogs will share some of their supplies with these lost Seashrogs, helping them survive long enough to drift back south.

The Wolvershrog’s nest is more complex than its ancestor’s. It is considerably larger, sometimes as great as 30 meters wide, in order to store large amounts of food to survive the winter, and the "hull" has two layers. Air becomes trapped between the two layers, helping to insulate the nest. The two layers also allow the nest to have a more complex structure, as the inner layer can be used to support additional beams without affecting the nest’s overall structural integrity. In fact, this is a necessary innovation for making the nests as large as they are; while the Seashrog only included additional support beams where the deck was weak or sagging, the Wolvershrog will place multiple sets of beams arranged in circles surrounding the center of the nest as support no matter what. In addition to keeping the nest from collapsing in on itself, these beams also serve to support additional floors, shelves, and various ramps that allow access to the entrances to the nest. Though this appears sophisticated, it is mostly further elaboration on instinctive behavior. The nest also has a compound structure and two decks, an upper one with a single entrance in the center used for lookout and a lower one with multiple entrances which is stood on while hunting. The shape of the nest, externally, could be described as a larger nest with a second, smaller nest resting on top supported by wooden pillars. With the massive size of the nest, the Wolvershrog is more tolerant of adult offspring and will allow them to stay in the nest as long as they assist in its maintenance, though many subadults will still leave to start their own families elsewhere.

Without access to fuzzpalm berries in the far north, and with the nest structure being so complex that berries and spit are not sufficient to hold it together, the Wolvershrog has, through imitation, borrowed ideas from the Maineiac Rivershrog, which it would occasionally encounter while searching for wood, and uses roots, other fibrous plant parts, and collagen pulled from prey and beached megafauna to tie the nest together. Construction of a Wolvershrog nest can take years, and in the meantime the shrog will be residing on the coast with its mate and cubs, living off of coastal fruit and fauna. However, once constructed, a single nest can last decades as long as it’s maintained by a Wolvershrog, often even outliving its original builders and being inherited by their descendants.

The Wolvershrog hunts in a similar way to its ancestor, thrusting wooden spears into piscine prey and wrestling it onto the nest. The spears are gnawed on near the tip to create a sort of barb so that they do not slide out of the prey’s flesh very easily. Often, an individual’s mate and adult offspring will assist in tackling especially large prey, thrusting in more spears and using their teeth and claws to hold on and pull the catch aboard. Sometimes, their prey will successfully knock a wolvershrog into the water, but wolvershrogs are strong swimmers and don’t freeze easily due to their thick fur and fat bodies. If possible, the prey’s skull or spine (or equivalent) will be crushed with a powerful bite to kill it, but if it’s too large a spear may be shoved into the brain instead, often through the eyes. Once it stops moving, the kill will be dismembered and meat will be torn from the bones. Some of the meat will be eaten immediately, but most will be splashed in seawater and left to dry, helping to preserve it. Nearly all hunting occurs in the summer, as this preservation method does not work during the winter, though Wolvershrogs will still hunt in the winter as well if they run low on food. The wolvershrog also readily consumes fruit while on land, as it is easy to digest.

The Wolvershrog’s vocalizations are similar to the Seashrog’s, though much deeper and breathier. Due to Wolvershrog family groups being far more cohesive than those of Seashrogs, name-barking has also become far more important; they have adopted “family names”, and no two Wolvershrogs in the same family group will have the same given name. When unrelated Wolvershrogs meet, they will even introduce themselves, tapping a paw to their snout and letting out two barks: first their family name, then their own. They may introduce friends or offspring in a similar manner, tapping their snout and barking. Family names seemingly originated as a way of distinguishing two cubs with the same name and different mothers by barking the mother’s name first followed by the cub’s, similar to the origins of human last names such as “Johnson”, and as such they are typically inherited maternally. Family names can also serve as inbreeding prevention; though instincts prevent Wolvershrogs from mating with siblings they were raised with, an estranged sibling or cousin they have never met will not trigger the anti-inbreeding instinct, so having the same family name can serve as an additional cultural deterrent.

Like its ancestor, the Wolvershrog is placental but retains a pouch. It typically mates during the fall, and gestation lasts about 6 months. Though they will certainly mate every year, hormonal cues will prevent them from being fertile some years to prevent overpopulation of the nest. 3-5 cubs are born per mating. Cubs are born blind and helpless, though they already have a soft coat of fur to protect them from harsh polar conditions once they’ve been licked dry. The cubs remain in the pouch for only a few weeks, rapidly outgrowing it. Juveniles can take as long as 10 years to reach full size, though they are capable of breeding by the age of 8. Adult offspring that stay in the nest, especially daughters, may be tightly monitored by their parents during breeding season, as when making landfall or passing other wolvershrog nests they will often sneak off to mate with strangers; though wolvershrogs are far from prudes and couldn’t care less about what their sons do, parents typically do not want their daughters to have cubs while still living with them due to all the extra mouths to feed. This is similar to the behavior of Terran wolves, which will try to prevent their daughters from mating for the same reason. Wolvershrogs can live as long as 60 years, though their health will usually start to fail in their early 40’s.

On dispersal, young wolvershrogs make a makeshift nest immediately upon landfall, though they may not stick to just one, as they must wander along the beach to find a mate. Although they are only fertile in the fall, they will still have the drive to seek out potential mates year-round so that they are not restricted to a small time window to find one, a necessary trait due to them not having a particularly high population density and the importance of having offspring capable of assisting in hunts and maintaining their massive nests. Mating rivalry occurs in both sexes and selection is mutual, both male and female wolvershrogs preferring strength and bulk, as these are necessary for successful hunting and nest construction. The osteoderms on their faces are used in intraspecific combat--the same head-wrestling their ancestors engaged in--which can reveal easily which of two potential mate options is stronger. The final stage of courtship, too, involves head-wrestling between the prospective lovers so they can feel one another’s strength for themselves. A roughly even match is generally preferred, as if one easily defeats the other, it indicates insufficient strength. Once they have chosen one another they will literally mate on the spot, often right in front of losing rivals, even if it is the wrong season. They mate belly-to-belly, as their back spikes and sharp tail make mounting too risky. The pair will begin construction of a seaworthy nest soon after their first mating, and they will often have already had multiple litters of cubs before they finish.

Homosexuality has been observed in Wolvershrogs, just as in Seashrogs. Male/male pairs are rarer, however female/female pairs are almost bizarrely common. In fact, it is not rare to see a nest populated exclusively by female wolvershrogs with no cubs. While some “lesbian” wolvershrogs will still mate with males they encounter as a reproductive outlet, the rise of family names and tolerance of living in groups has also created a concept of group identity, resulting in the appearance of large female-only groups which have no interest in strange males at all, only in one another. To keep their population up, they will invite young female wolvershrogs they find on beaches into their communal nest with mating calls; most will not accept, feeling no attraction to other females, but some will, keeping the group alive without reproduction.

The Wolvershrog has spread the Cleaner Borvermid and the False Cleaner Borvermid across its entire range. It has also spread the Shailnitor, however it can only actually obtain new Shailnitors from the temperate regions, as the little uktank cannot survive polar conditions and is completely dependent on the shrog nest microclimate this far north; therefore Shailnitors can only exist in the north polar biomes as long as the Wolvershrog or any other species capable of harboring them in the north is extant.

Twigfisher Shrog (Lutrasorex novipus)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Seashrog
Habitat: Dixon-Darwin Boreal, Darwin Temperate Woodland, Vivus Boreal, Vivus Rocky, Darwin Chaparral, Dixon-Darwin Rocky, Dixon-Darwin High Grassland, Darwin Plains, Vivus High Grassland
Size: 1.5 meters long
Diet: Omnivore (Vermees, Gamergate Gundis, Minkruggs, Teacup Sauceback larvae, Grovecrystal crystals, Berry Arbourshroom berries, Crystal Brambley berries, Gecoba Tree fruit, Boreal Tubeplage fruit, Fruiting Grovecrystal crystals and fruit, Crystamble crystals, Tubeplage fruit, Scrubland Tubeplage fruit, Scrubland Quhft fruit, Fuzzpile berries, Bristlepile berries, Signpost Crystamboo crystals, Supershroom berries, Sapshroom berries)
Respiration: Active (Lungs)
Thermoregulation: Endotherm (Fur)
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Placental, Pouch and Milk)

Inevitably, some populations of the Seashrog would not remain tied to water and would instead move back inland. The Twigfisher Shrog split from its ancestor. With no piscine prey on land, it has exapted its tool use capability to fish for a different kind of prey--bugs and grubs.

The Twigfisher Shrog will find a stick that’s sufficiently long and flexible, or make one itself by lopping a branch off a tree with its tail. It will then cover the stick in its sticky saliva which it inherited from its ancestor before sticking the stick into a log or a hole in the ground. When it pulls the stick back out, it will be covered in vermees, minikruggs, gamergate gundis, teacup sauceback larvae, and other small burrowing critters. The Twigfisher Shrog will then eat these right off the stick. It will also readily consume crystals and fruit. It may carry an especially good stick with it wherever it goes, clutching with its thumb while it walks on the tips of its fingers.

Speaking of which, the forelimbs of the Twigfisher Shrog are quite strange compared to its ancestor’s. The thumb remains similar, however the rest of the digits have odd bunched knuckles, similar to those of a Terran dog. This allows this odd shrog to walk on its forelegs while grasping a tool at the same time, something the Seashrog couldn’t do. Interestingly, the final segment of each finger can be curled a full 180 degrees from its walking position, allowing it to use them to grasp when necessary while keeping them out of the way when walking.

Similar to its ancestor, the Twigfisher Shrog resides in crafted nests. Unlike its ancestor’s nests, which are roughly half-spheres with a flat deck, Twigfisher Shrog nests are cylindrical huts with a conical roof. Rather than wasting food using berries to glue it all together, it uses mud as the main adhesive. As mud needs to be exposed to the sun to dry properly, it only builds in clearings within the more forested parts of its range. The nests are also naturally held together by the tangle of branches coming off the sticks used, as the Twigfisher Shrog doesn’t bother to remove them. Though it can theoretically fell giant obsidoak trees with its tail, it usually just chops branches off small or young trees, as it is able to see that the giant obsidoaks have far more wood than it could ever need and it can be very difficult to extract its tail if it gets stuck under those literal tons of wood.

Like its ancestor, the Twigfisher Shrog’s facial osteoderms play a part in sexual selection, a neat “hairdo” without visible damage being preferred. Unlike its ancestor, it isn’t so strictly monogamous, as it has no need to be. It has a mating season mostly associated with fall in the southern hemisphere, and while there is a mating season every year, any twigfisher that mated the previous year will skip the next one. This is due in part to how long it takes for twigfisher joeys to develop enough to not need to be looked after constantly. It retains its ancestor’s gestation period of 4 months, though being smaller it actually gives birth to proportionally more developed young in this amount of time. Newborns stay in their mother’s pouch until their osteoderms start to grow in, at which point they are weaned. Both parents contribute to caring for their offspring for the first 18 months, which translates to when their offspring are about 14 months old and mostly dependent on their parents for protection, after which the father leaves and the mother will usually pick a different mate next mating season. Orphaned juveniles are able to survive in the wilderness as long as they can build a shelter and have already been taught how to forage for bugs, but when given a choice they stay with their mothers until they are at least 3 years old. It takes about 5 years for a Twigfisher Shrog to reach full size, and it can live as long as 40 years if it isn’t killed by predators or disease.

Living over a wide range across a supercontinent with varied soil color and flora cover, the Twigfisher Shrog comes in a handful of distinct color variants suited for specific regions. This includes obsidian for the forests, blond for blending in with rocks, and champagne for dry grass.

Blond:


Champagne:

I figured that since it has a sprawling posture, rather than erect like a sloth, the claws wouldn't get in the way nearly as much.

I used "hairy" because that's the term used in other soriparasites. I can clarify that they're fuzzy scales like those of a gecko, though it'll be a bit before I can edit because mobile is clunky and my internet is down.

Coolsteph any chance you could comment on this? Your input on my species matters a lot to me.

QUOTE (OviraptorFan @ Mar 27 2021, 07:33 PM)

QUOTE (Disgustedorite @ Mar 27 2021, 08:22 PM) QUOTE (OviraptorFan @ Mar 27 2021, 06:57 PM) Hmmm, do you think you potentially do some artwork of the Lazarus Soriparasite feeding? It would give people a clear idea on how their adaptations are used. I mean...it's kinda redundant, it's unchanged from its ancestor which has it depicted. People may not look at the ancestor, plus you may depict it more clearly then how I did it.

If people screw it up because they don't want to look through ancestry honestly that's their problem.

QUOTE (OviraptorFan @ Mar 27 2021, 06:57 PM)

Hmmm, do you think you potentially do some artwork of the Lazarus Soriparasite feeding? It would give people a clear idea on how their adaptations are used.

I mean...it's kinda redundant, it's unchanged from its ancestor which has it depicted.

QUOTE (TheBigDeepCheatsy @ Mar 27 2021, 01:33 AM)

I wonder if Nergali’s idea of eyeless super-nosed soriparasites could still work or not. Regardless, it’s nice to see these guys again!

Perhaps they can return to the caves, go blind, then come back out and do that?

I have no idea if Coolsteph ever saw the extinction mistake on the desert soriparasite. long story short someone screwed up adding it to the ecosystem page and it actually survived the gamma ray burst in a cave

EDIT: Also, there's a few extra slots anyone can claim, forgot how many, for revivals because there weren't enough active members for everyone to get just one.

Lazarus Soriparasite (Soriparasiticus lazarus)
Creator: Disgistedorite
Ancestor: Desert Soriparasite
Habitat: Darwin Boreal, Darwin Tropical Rainforest, Morokar Tropical Scrub, Morokar Tropical Woodland, Javen Tropical Rainforest, Javen Tropical Woodland, Javen Tropical Scrub
Size: 8 cm long
Diet: Hemophage (Golden Earback, Swiftsnapper, Mountain Flunejaw, Goliath Flunejaw, Needlespike Flunejaw)
Respiration: Active (Lungs)
Thermoregulation: Ectotherm (Basking)
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Live Birth, Milk)

Soriparasites, or parasitic shrews, are an ancient clade of blood shrew which first appeared in the Clayrenian period. Some millions of years following their evolution, a particularly specialized species, the [[Death Soriparasite]], contributed to the spread of a [[Shrew Plague|deadly plague]] which nearly wiped out all shrews. However, though soriparasites survived the plague, they seemingly became extinct soon after in the Martykian period, being among the innumerable casualties of the gamma-ray burst, the worst mass extinction event in Sagan 4’s long history.

But that was actually not quite the case.

A single soriparasite--the [[Desert Soriparasite]]--was overlooked, assumed to be among the casualties. In reality, it had survived through a population residing in [[Rabid Sandstone Caves]], which was sheltered from the radiation. While other blood shrews within this same cave would meet deadly fates as cave-ins and waves of disease wiped out their plent hosts, soriparasites were specialized in carpozoan blood, allowing the desert soriparasite to persist by feeding on the blood of serpentsaurs, earbacks, and turtsnappers. And so it remained there for millions of years, completely untouched by extinction events.

Its fortune would soon come to an end, however, as rising sea levels pushed Rabid Sandstone Caves closer and closer to being engulfed by the ocean. Only concerned with finding the next host, the little soriparasite didn’t think to leave the cave on its own as other fauna in its environment had done. However, this did not stop some from being carried out of the cave by hosts--more specifically, Golden Earbacks. As a result, a viable population was able to become established outside the caves and soon spread to new hosts as well, speciating into the '''Lazarus Soriparasite'''.

Like its ancestor, the Lazarus Soriparasite is primarily a parasite of carpozoans, which in this instance translates to it primarily consuming the blood of flunejaws and skysnappers. When feeding, it grips the skin of its host with the teeth on its upper jaw. Anesthetic compounds in its saliva prevent its host from feeling a thing as it proceeds to use its barbed tongue to lick the skin raw, drawing blood. It then wraps its enlarged lower lip around the skin it has grabbed and begins to gulp, creating suction which pulls blood from the wound. This is more efficient than the methods of more primitive soriparasites, which left nasty bite wounds and depended on their host bleeding into their mouths. It also does not spread disease as readily as its long-extinct cousin the Death Soriparasite, though it still isn’t impossible for it to do so. Similar to its ancestor, its lower jaw lacks teeth so as to not interfere with feeding and it can also close its mouth further than more primitive soriparasites.

The Lazarus Soriparasite only has one pair of fully-functioning eyes, though the other two ancestral pairs are still present, just reduced. It can still sense light through these tiny vestigial eyes, but only the largest pair can form images. Its hooked foreclaws and gecko-like feet bearing fuzzy setae allow it to hold onto its host without falling off. It is unusual among shrews in that it does not have a pouch; when not nursing, its young may climb on its back to let their siblings have room to nurse instead. It has taken on a golden coloration, allowing it to blend in with soil as it travels between hosts. It usually mates during these treks. It is able to tolerate low temperatures while sucking blood, but it needs to warm up to travel at a decent speed, so it may also be found basking on rocks between hosts.

With soriparasites resurfacing as a lazarus taxon, there are now three distinct living groups of [[Shrew]]. Though its niche is low-profile and its range does not presently overlap with its furry or bubbly cousins, the Lazarus Soriparasite’s remarkable emergence is quite significant to the clade as a whole.

So the topic of plent reproduction came up, especially with the whole baby size vs mouth size thing, and I realized that if the Sagon (a sapient plent) is anything like a human, birth must really suck...

I've switched out the word in question regardless.

I actually recommended the reduction in smarts; Rainbowtail was apparently written with intent to create a sapient species, which is. a big no-no

Thermoregulation is now required to be specified for all new species. However, this presents a problem for...basically any plent.

Plents are all over the place, flipping back and forth between forms suited for endothermy or ectothermy (sometimes literally between lizard form and mammal form) seemingly at the creator's whim. Only a small handful of lineages are explicitly endothermic, the rest just seemingly do whatever the hell they want. Some species have illogical and often incompatible combinations of endotherm characteristics (full-body insulation) and ectotherm characteristics (depending on the sun to warm up). Outside of ambulatory plents, all text seems to indicate that skuniks were somehow endotherms on landfall with no explanation. Flying swarmers must at the bare minimum be heterotherms, as they could not fly otherwise, but this is never explained. The only plents we can know for sure are ectotherms are aquatic plents like swarmers that have never touched land or air. This mess is worsened by the fact that plents are perhaps the most popular faunal lineage on Sagan 4, meaning there are a lot to sift through.

Assistance in figuring this out and adding thermoregulation to plents would be greatly appreciated. Some especially difficult lineages include nodents, sprinters, ketters, phlyers, plentpeckers, bearhogs...well, basically all that aren't either gulpers or nobits.

By the way, this take on farming is a bit weirdly euro-centric for an animal that just developed it. If I were to make a Shrog that farms I would've taken inspiration from less grid-like, more naturalistic methods such as native american food forests.

I like this suggestion Coolsteph gave a lot:

QUOTE

If, however, rotten matter in their nests was such a health hazard it would kill or sicken Drakeshrogs who spent too long to get rid of it, there would be evolutionary pressure for Drakeshrogs to become "conscientious" and become likely to bury rotten food.

Since sowshrog didn't come with a co-evolving shailnitor to eat the rotten food, I think this makes a lot of sense.

Pandocrystal (Crystallumaetas pando)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Towering Grovecrystal
Habitat: Drake Taiga, Drake Polar Scrub
Size: 25 meters tall, no colony width limit
Diet: Photosynthesis
Respiration: Passive (Stomata)
Thermoregulation: Ectotherm
Reproduction: Asexual (Budding)

The Pandocrystal split from its ancestor and moved into the polar regions. Similar to its cousins, the vesuvianite tree and the mangrove crystal, it has gained more branches. It has completely taken over Drake Taiga at the time of writing, growing very tall and producing a single sprawling clonal colony that spans the entire biome. This massive colony is the largest single organism on Sagan 4 at the time of evolution, exceeding the size of the orbit voltflora by at least several hundred fold. Smaller groves can also be found scattered about Drake Polar Scrub.

The Pandocrystal produces new branches as it grows taller and sheds old ones, leaving behind scars which may superficially resemble eyes. This is because newer branches cast shade on older ones, making them a useless burden. During the long polar winter nights, the crystal leaves turn orange and eventually red as the chlorophyll within fades and exposes the red pigmentation of the core, as there is no point in performing photosynthesis without light; the crystals return to their former green color once the sun returns. Fallen crystals are typically orange or red as a result of the chloroplasts within them dying.

The Pandocrystal can only reproduce asexually. This puts it at a severe competitive disadvantage in terms of genetic flexibility, however at the time of evolution it had no competition keeping it in check. Within a clonal colony, young trees are provided with nutrients by their neighbors so that they can reach the canopy and start collecting sunlight on their own.

==Notes==
Pandocrystal is named after a real individual plant named Pando. As such, “Pandocrystal” is a proper noun which should be capitalized.

Since Sagan 4 isn't self-hosted anymore, we don't have to worry about the site being misclassified like we did in the past. Both Miraheze and Jcink can handle it for us.

Sprawlaclaw (Brachionyx ofanii)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Taloned Phlyer
Habitat: Drake High Grassland, Drake Rocky, Mae Volcanic, Drake Plains, Drake Chaparral
Size: 2 meter wingspan, 90 cm long
Diet: Carnivore (Hopping Ketter, Desert Gossalizzard, Scarlet Phlyer, Azure Phlyer, Lizalagarto, Dwarf Pinyuk, Steppe Lizalope, Spitting Lizalagarto, Loafpick, Rosybeak Phlyer, Fuzzcoat, Tuskcoat, juvenile Strider Fuzzcoat, juvenile Lipped Sauceback, juvenile Pinyuk, juvenile Tree Pinyuk, juvenile Feral Tuskent, juvenile Ringtail Loafshell, juvenile Killcoat, juvenile Shaggy Glasseater), Photosynthesis
Respiration: Active (Lungs)
Thermoregulation: Heterotherm (Basking, Muscle-Generated Heat)
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Live Birth)

The sprawlaclaw split from its ancestor and left the tundra behind, moving into the milder temperate and montane plains and scrubland which bordered it. This phlyer-of-prey is named for the sprawled arrangement of its talons, which is optimal for capturing and killing prey. The hind claws are longer than the front ones and have the most force behind them, allowing them to stab and kill whatever it snatches. Its claws, as well as its beak, are thorn-like and made of wood; though somewhat fragile, they can regrow very quickly when damaged. It uses anthocyanins in its skin to make it appear bluish or blue-violet, allowing it to blend in with the greater lahns which cover the ground without disrupting photosynthesis.

The sprawlaclaw soars through the air watching for small prey on the ground. When it spots something that it can eat, it will swoop down and stab it with its talons, killing it. It then uses its hooked beak to tear into the flesh and eat its prey. It can be likened to a hawk or an eagle for this reason. It can soar for hours at a time when necessary. It is generally solitary outside of mating season, which occurs in the spring.

The sprawlaclaw’s tail is very short and it has lost its ancestral stabilizers; only the top one remains, serving to guard its butt nostril. Its hind pair of wings serve as stabilizers instead, acting like a bird’s pygostyle. Its tympanic ears are set in a short ear canal, reducing the perceived noise from air rushing around its head. It uses all four legs together to perch in trees, and when at rest it will fold its wings over its back like a Terran butterfly to expose the greener undersides to sunlight. It can also stand on the ground, but its talons make it a poor walker, so it prefers some kind of perch such as being atop a ferine.

Much like its ancestor, the sprawlaclaw gives live birth, so to avoid being weighed down during pregnancy it only has one baby at a time. However, to ensure reproductive success a single female can produce as many as 6 offspring in a single spring. Like most plents, the sprawlaclaw's reproductive organs are in its throat and it both mates and gives birth through its mouth. Both parents contribute to raising their offspring, taking turns bringing them pieces of their kills. Nestlings remain with their parents even after they have learned to fly, so that they may learn to hunt without risk of starvation if they don’t get it right away. Once they can hunt, the juveniles leave their parents’ care and live on their own. The parents, too, will separate, returning to a solitary lifestyle.