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Giant Tamow (Ornatotherium gígas)

Creator: Hydromancerx
Ancestor: Adorned Tamow
Habitat: Vonnegut Archipelago Temperate Beaches, Vonnegut Temperate Woodland Archipelago, Vonnegut Bush Archipelago
Size: 6 m Long
Support: Endoskeleton (Bone)
Diet: Herbivore (Mainland Fuzzpalm, Qupe Tree, Cocobarrage, Obsidibend, Baebula)
Respiration: Active (Lungs)
Thermoregulation: Endotherm (Fur)
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Pouch and Milk)

The Giant Tamow split from its ancestor the Adorned Tamow. It has become a large browser eating purple and black flora trees and shrubs. It has doubled in size and its neck and legs have grown longer to reach the treetops. Their keratinous quills have become scalemail-like and help protect them from predators when they are younger. After they become fully grown they are much to big for any predators like the Sparkleshrog, except for the Tyrannical Vonnegona. Even full-grown adults fear them. While their armor should protect adults from attacks from Tyrannical Vonnegona, a persistent one can take and adult Giant Tamow down. Thanks to them they are no longer solitary and travel in small herds. With more eyes and ears, there is a better chance of survival.

Like their ancestor they have symbiotic microbes such as Guttoplaques to digest the large amount of leaves it consumes daily. Its tail is vestigial and no longer servers a purpose other then armoring their butt. Their tongues have become longer and help them grab leaves and branches. Their large legs on 3 toed feet help hold up their massive bodies. Their two middle toes have fused into a single wider toe. They are surprisingly fast for their size.

Like their ancestor they give birth to helpless fetal young. Males do not participate in parental care at all. Joeys will live in their mother’s pouch and drink milk until they start to grow in their armor, at which point they leave the pouch already able to run from predators. They are fast as juveniles, but slow down considerably as they age and their armor finishes growing in. Juveniles will continue to suckle from their mother for up to 2 years after leaving the pouch before they are weaned and begin eating leaves instead.

This post has been edited by Hydromancerx: Sep 15 2022, 10:17 PM

Kitkonat (Latudon vulpinimimus)

Creator: Hydromancerx
Ancestor: Kakonat
Habitat: Vonnegut Archipelago Temperate Beaches, Vonnegut Temperate Woodland Archipelago, Vonnegut Bush Archipelago
Size: 50 cm long
Support: Endoskeleton (Jointed Wood)
Diet: Omnivore (Vermees, Cleaner Borvermid, False Cleaner Borvermid, Megaborvermid juveniles, Stowaway Harmbless, Tepoflora, Beach Puffgrass, Boneweed, Pioneeroots, Fuzzweed, Mainland Fuzzpalm berries, Seashrog joeys (rarely), Sparkleshrog joeys (rarely), Hang-Gliding Pinyuk eggs), Scavenger/Detritivore (shrog nests and food stores)
Respiration: Active (Lungs)
Thermoregulation: Endotherm (Cotton)
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Live Birth)

The Kitkonat split from its ancestor the Kakonat. It has grown larger but fills a similar niche as it's ancestor. Its fur-like wooly cotton helps insulate it from the cold as well as camouflage it in the red rusty soil. The sub-species that live in black soils are all black in color.

It is a pest to most shrogs and will sneak into their nests during construction and feed from their food stores. Like its ancestor it has It has petrolignin (aka calcified cellulose), convergent with the Stonebeak Phlyer, which replace the material of its fangs so that it may use them to cut food and deliver nasty bites. The fangs are mobile and close sideways to cut. When eating, it will use its prehensile tongue to pull food partway into its mouth and then bring its fangs together to snip it. It can snip flora and fauna alike. The prehensile tongues of the Kitkonat are used to shock and stun prey. This also is a great defense from predators since the shock, while not lethal can give a nasty surprise, giving them enough time to sprint away.

Like its ancestor, the Kitkonat engages in intraspecific combat when selecting a mate. These battles are usually between males, but females may also fight one another or, occasionally, males that are too persistent. Unlike their ancestor they do have a mating season in the fall. Males are more aggressive than their ancestors and have head spikes. Females have small domes like their ancestor. When they do battle they clash horned domes. Theses horns also help defend against predators. They can form mating groups as its ancestor did. They produce 2-3 offspring per breeding and provide parental care. Like most plents, they mate mouth-to-mouth. Those in the same biome as a Plated Tamow will use their abandoned burrows as shelter and/or as a den to raise their offspring.

This post has been edited by Hydromancerx: Jan 11 2023, 11:30 AM

Name: Pitchbloom (Obscuricepa campestribus)
Creator: OviraptorFan
Ancestor: Sunion (Obscuricepa articum)
Habitat: Fermi Plains, Fermi Steppe, Fermi Subpolar Volcanic, Fermi Prairie, Fermi Bush, Fermi Temperate Volcanic
Size: 50 centimeters tall
Support: Cell Wall (Cellulose)
Diet: Photosynthesis
Respiration: ?
Thermoregulation: Ectotherm
Reproduction: Sexual (Airborne Cylindrical Spores)

While the role of small ground flora for the inland areas of Fermi was already being filled by several different species, none of those were melanophytes. Instead it was dominated by purple flora who all filled specialized realizations of this particular role to avoid directly competing with one another. While this balance worked pretty well amongst themselves, it didn’t mean no other species of small flora would try to settle the region. This would take the form of the Pitchbloom, a split of the Sunion that moved away from the continent’s southern tundras and adapted to live in a warmer environment.

In many ways the species is similar to their ancestors, as many of the Sunion’s adaptations towards living in cold tundras translated quite well for living within the continent’s highly seasonal interior. The large onion-like “blooms” help store water, which is mainly helpful for the months of autumn where rain becomes uncommon but it's not cold enough for snow to fall. The “blooms” are also still quite succulent, providing a feast for local minikruggs. Losing these “blooms” is not too much of a problem, as the kruggs will focus on them instead of the small outer ring of leaves that are the primary photosynthetic structures. Additionally, the several thick roots (that still resemble braided bread) still draw in nutrients that in turn helps the Pitchbloom regrow or repair the “blooms” after being munched on by Minikruggs.

When winter arrives within Fermi’s inland habitats, Pitchblooms will still shed their “blooms” as they would require too much energy to retain and simply shedding them off is much more efficient. The outer row of leaves is still retained, as not only do they still gather sunlight for energy but they also still act as a blanket that protects their highly delicate and sensitive stem tissue. Although the outer row of leaves of the Pitchblooms are lower to the ground compared to purple flora like the Fermiblades, their black coloration means they can take in all parts of the visible light spectrum for energy, meaning they can take advantage of all the light they do obtain while remaining low to the ground to avoid getting chilled by cold winds. Once the area warms up with the return of spring, the Pitchblooms will regrow their “blooms” as they obtain more energy with longer hours of daylight. By early summer, Pitchblooms will begin to emit a thin smoke-like plume of gametes into the air. These gametes appear as a slightly yellowish fog that can then be carried for great distances by the wind. When the gametes meet those of another individual they will then fuse together, with the resulting spore eventually landing on the ground and germinating, eventually growing into a new Pitchbloom. During the autumn months, Pitchblooms will stop reproducing, as by that point any resulting offspring would be too small to survive the cold winter months.


A Pitchbloom that had shed its "blooms" for the winter.

Alright guys! Here is my bonus species of flora for the inland areas of Fermi! Hopefully this looks good, though as usual any comments or critiques are highly appreciated!

This post has been edited by OviraptorFan: Sep 17 2022, 11:18 AM

Tonboskimmer (Shippoashi Iamque)

Creator: Hydromancerx
Ancestor: Tonboswarmer
Habitat: Artir Temperate Coast, Coolsteph Temperate Coast, Soma Temperate Sea, Darkov Subpolar Coast, Flisch Subpolar Coast, Soma Subpolar Coast, Artir Temperate Beach, Coolsteph Temperate Beach, Dingus Temperate Beach, Soma Archipelago Temperate Beaches, Soma Temperate Beach, Darkov Subpolar Beach, Dingus Subpolar Beach, Flisch Subpolar Beach, Soma Archipelago Subpolar Beaches, Soma Subpolar Beach, Slarti Subpolar River, Yokto Subpolar Stream, Slarti Montane River, Yokto Montane River, Slarti Subpolar Riparian, Yokto Subpolar Riparian, Slarti Montane Riparian, Yokto Montane Riparian, Slarti Bog, Yokto Bog, Slarti Mudflat, Yokto Mudflat, Artir Temperate Mangal, Coolsteph Temperate Mangal, Soma Temperate Mangal, Darkov Subpolar Mangal, Slarti Subpolar Mangal, Soma Subpolar Mangal
Size: 8 cm Long
Support: Unknown
Diet: Photosynthesis, Planktivore
Respiration: Unknown
Thermoregulation: Unknown
Reproduction: Sexual, Spawning in Water or Cryobowls, Two Genders, Metamorphosis (Lava, Pupa, Adult)

The Tonboskimmer split from its ancestor the Tonboswarmer. It has specialized to be a planktovore. Its long scooping mouth dips in the water as it flies over the water surface. Tiny mouth bristles line the walls of the mouth trapping plankton inside. Water is then spit out and then it swallows them. During feeding it must fly slowly, hovering over the water. Its back webbed tail-tentacles are now used as foot, to stand on when resting. While they have great stamina when flying they do need to rest. When resting they will aim their wings towards the sun so they can perform photosynthesis and even gain more energy. Like their ancestor their cellulose exoskeleton helps support their weight but is flexible enough to let them bend. Their strong wings allow them to hover. This is especially useful when skimming or spawning over the water or cryobowls. Its larva start out like normal swarmers but then develop into a hard cellulose covered pupa. Pupa develop under the sand or mud of the bodies of water they live in, if in a cryobowl it is just at the bottom of the bowl. Pupas develop in the fall before the water freezes or gets too cold. They hatch in the spring when the ice has thawed and the water is warmer. Those in the coast where the water doesn't, and freeze still go through this stage since there is far less food to feed on in the winter and thus would starve. Once the pupa hatches its body is transformed into a flying adult. Note that only adults have sex organs to mate with. The larva only have one eye while the adult stage have three.

Brinesnapper (Malasaurus perveniat)

Creator: Hydromancerx
Ancestor: Bladesnapper
Habitat: Jaydoh Temperate Coast, Scifi Subpolar Coast, Arctic Subpolar Coast, Jaydoh Temperate Beach, Scifi Subpolar Beach, Arctic Subpolar Beach, Fermi Marsh, Fermi Mudflat, Fermi Temperate Mangal
Size: 80 cm Wingspan
Support: Endoskeleton (Hollow Bone)
Diet: Carnivore (Squire Finworm, South Polar Shardgill, Gillarill, Marine Gilltail, Marine Urpoi, Probing Gilltail, Finned Filtersquid, Surge Gilltail, Globe Gilltail, Ebony Pump Gilltail, Sealid, Vicious Gilltail, Seafin, Finback, Southern Strainerbeak, Southern Gillfin, Bleedin Waterworm, Larvaback, Miniswarmers)
Respiration: Active (Lungs)
Thermoregulation: Endotherm (Downy Feathers)
Reproduction: Sexual, 2 Genders, Hard Shelled Eggs

The Brinesnapper split from its ancestor the Bladesnapper. it lives and looks much like its ancestor, except for one key difference: it can sneeze salty brine out of its nostrils. Living on the coast, it consumes a lot of salt in its diet. Rather than excreting it in its urine, it will store it up in a special gland in its nasal cavity. When threatened it will shoot a cloud of stinging brine into the eyes of its target, thus temporarily blinding it. This of course only works for creatures on land with eyes. It initially developed a salt gland to regulate salt from its own diet, and then later adapted it into a "breath weapon". It consumption of extra salt only serve to recharge its salty sneezes.

Like its ancestor its lower jaw has a sharp edge to help it cut up prey for eating. Its long neck helps it reach prey in the water, as well as use its blade with great dexterity. It will also use its blade to scrap salt from salt deposits found in places such as mudflats or beaches. Eating salt directly can replenish their salt reserves.

Maturing in the first year, individuals live for 5 years. Individuals nest in groups of 20-50 called "barracks"; while they return to the same place to nest, they hunt alone or in mating pairs. As nesting space became more scarce, some populations moved into the temperate parts of the island. Parents mate for life and rear clutches of 2-3 chicks, which are laid in the warmer months and take 3 months to hatch.

This post has been edited by Hydromancerx: Mar 10 2023, 05:33 PM

Back when I first was in Sagan IV like fifteen years ago, I made the first species of iron fauna. It was a mess, for many reasons. Yet somehow that species has lasted to the modern day. So I decided to try to address the issues of my old critter, and better clarify some details I had intended in its original submission. So with that in mind, here is the Rustslider.


Rustslider (Ferrovermis melius)
Creator: Changeling
Ancestor: Ferrumworm
Habitat: Oz Subtropical Coast, Time Subtropical Coast, Abello Temperate Coast, and Anguan Temperate Coast
Size: 5 cm
Diet: Lithivore, Detritivore
Respiration: Passive (Skin-Breathing)
Thermoregulation: Ectothermic
Support: Exoskeleton (Hematite)
Reproduction: Fragmentation, Spawning, Hermaphrodites

The Rustslider has replaced its ancestor, as it has refined a few oddities of its predecessor. The Rustslider still uses chunks of magnetic metals as makeshift cilla to row its body across the ocean floor, helping it move despite lacking true legs. They are guided by three organs on their head that detect smells, which lead them to decaying matter, iron, and others of their kind. They also have developed magnetoreception, to better track hematite down.

When starving, their bodies will begin to cannibalize their own iron shells rather than eat their fake cilla.

Underneath their body they have pairs of simplistic jawless mouths every few segments. Below their front chemoreception organs they have a true brain, but their mouths each have a lump of neurons to better taste their meals and feel the terrain they slide across. Because of these traits, the Rustslider can reproduce by fragmentation, if a Rustslider gets cut into pieces those pieces can regrow into an adult. This is a possibility as while they have an iron shell they have a large number of segments, giving it weak points.

For more traditional reproduction, the Rustsliders are hermaphrodites, and reproduce by spawning. Once they detect enough of their species, they will release a cloud of gametes, which will combine into zygotes. Their young will spend time as plankton, using their lighter bodies and tails to swim through the water. At this point their sensory organs have not fully split, so they have less precise awareness of the location of food. They also have not fully developed their hematite shells, so they are fairly easy to eat. Thankfully they are r-strategists, so the large amount of deaths do not endanger their species survival.

This post has been edited by Changeling: Sep 18 2022, 02:33 PM

Umbral Seaswimmer (Sinistrops pachyanguiliophis)
Creator: Nergali
Ancestor: Red-Eye Seaswimmer
Habitat: Clayren Temperate Coast, Nergali Subtropical Coast, Itizz Temperate Coast, Abello Temperate Coast, Anguan Temperate Coast, Oz Subtropical Coast, Time Subtropical Coast, Maineiac Temperate Mangal, Ittiz Temperate Mangal, Abello Temperate Mangal, Time Subtropical Mangal, Barlowe Temperate Mangal
Size: 80 cm Long
Support: Endoskeleton (Bone)
Diet: Carnivore (Scuttleball Gillfin, Diamond Pumpgill, Floating Pumpgill, Globespot Gilltail, Plump Gillfin, Gulperpump, Sardchovy), Scavenger
Respiration: Active (Lungs)
Thermoregulation: Mesotherm
Reproduction: Sexual, Two Genders, Live Birth

Descended from red-eye seaswimmers that abandoned the Maineiac waterways and returned to the sea, the umbral seaswimmer has grown in both size and length. Living off the coasts of the continent of Lamarck, they have become formidable mesopredators that stalk the shallows beneath the light of Mason and the stars. Solitary hunters, they have been steadily establishing themselves over the centuries since their ancestor's exodus, and their overall population has been growing to point where they are one of the most common species of seaswimmer to be found in the region.

Similar to its distant cousin, the fuzzbelly seaswimmer, the umbral seaswimmer has also evolved more specialized hairs, though unlike its kin these stiff hairs are mostly found along the bottom of their lower jaws. Utilized in detecting faint vibrations in the water, they compliment their three sets of eyes as they hunt at night. They also compliment another recently evolved sensory system, a series of gel-filled pores that run along their sides, each containing a single hair attached to a nerve cell. This lateral line is also utilized for detecting motion in the water, with a much broader range than that of their jaw-hairs, but they are also less sensitive than them at the same time. As such, the lateral line is used to initially detect prey, while the jaw-hairs are utilized to pinpoint their direction until they come in range of their vision.

While their pronounced tusk - most often derived from their left fang that pierces through the upper lip, though right-fanged individuals are not that terribly uncommon as of late - has somewhat reduced in size and length, they are still utilized for both hunting and determining territorial rights over hunting grounds. Numerous pale scars, the result of the latter use, can be found covering most individuals, though a robust immune system helps them to heal rapidly in this regard. The tusks also serve another purpose, as specialized nerve cells within them help the umbral seaswimmer to determine water pressure and temperature.

Mating occurs year round, with up to a dozen writhing juveniles produced after a gestation period of five to six months. Shown no parental care, the young are already capable hunters, relying on instincts to hunt down small prey and juveniles of other species. They prefer to remain in the shallows of the mangal regions, though unlike the adults they tend to be most active during the day. This helps them to avoid coming into competition with their older kin, who prefer to stalk these same regions at night. Should they manage to survive predation, in little over two years they will be nearly fully grown, though they will need to wait another two before they are sexually mature.

This post has been edited by Nergali: Sep 19 2022, 06:03 PM

Hangnail Infectoids (Breakofficus spp.)

creator: colddigger
ancestor: Buhmungus Infectoids
habitat: Jujubee Ocean, Mnid Ocean, LadyM Ocean
diet: Microbes, sanguinivore
size: 0.05cm - 1cm long (mature), 1nanometer long (dormant spore)
support: Cell Membrane
respiration: Passive Diffusion
thermoregulation: Ectotherm
reproduction: Asexual, Virus-like Infection, Spores, Fragmentation, Sexual, Budding

Hangnail Infectoids split from their ancestor Buhmungus Infectoids to take on a more specialized lifecycle. There are many different kinds of Hangnail Infectoids, and all are found in saltwater environments. Free living stages, and dormant spores, remain fairly similar in appearance and function as its ancestor. However a new stage in its lifecycle emerged from selection resulting in multicellular hosts becoming more adequate, and eventually the obligate form of host.

Formation of asexually and sexually resultant spores remains the same as the Buhmungus Infectoid, however they stay dormant without a multicellular host and do not infect microbes. This results in the majority being consumed by microbes and killed, however the layer of lysosomes results in the death of the predator. This lowers the number of hungry microbes in an area with spores and increases the survival rate of the next batch created for a longer period of time. If the free living mature organism is killed, then of course this stops the production of spores, and if all its spores are devoured by microbes after that then the individual fails entirely to reproduce. The shroud membrane remains an existing part of the infectoid and spore, continuing to play its role as bait for scavengers.

Infection of a multicellular host can be via the mouth or the gills, as either method brings it in contact with live epithelial cells. Once in contact with a live epithelial cell the spore will activate, shedding its shroud membrane and infiltrating the host cell. once inside it rapidly goes through the standard infectoid process of capturing the nucleus, shrouding itself, and replicating host glycolipids, extracellular compounds, and other cellular recognition tags of the host. There are two subgenus groups, uniasci and biasci, members of the uniasci specialize in parasitizing eukaryotic fauna while biasci may parasitize both eukaryotic as well as dikaryotic fauna. This distinction is based on the biasci spore containing the capacity to capture two prisoner nuclei given the absence of a recessive allele, while in the presence of such an allele it may only capture one. No Hangnail Infectoids infect flora.

Once established in its host cell the infectoid will feed passively off the nutrients and oxygen supplied by the blood of its host, or whatever means the host organism feeds its cells. If the host cell actively participates in the digestive process then the infectoid will not participate beyond the creation and release of substances, following blueprints provided by prisoner nuclei and the same pathways of transport inside vacuoles used for glycolipids to the surface of the shroud membrane. If the host cell participates in more complex behaviors in order to obtain nutrients then the infectoid will perish.

As the Hangnail Infectoid cell continues to obtain material it will undergo mitosis, replicating its nucleus without replicating the prisoner nucleus. One daughter cell inherits the prisoner nucleus, while one does not. The two resultant daughter cells cause the space inside the shroud membrane to become cramped. The daughter cell without a prisoner nucleus pushes the shroud membrane outward, in search of neighboring host cells. Contacting the neighboring cell results in the merging of the shroud membrane with the cell membrane of the neighboring host cell and immediate capture of the native nucleus and subjugation of its cytoplasm via lysosomes and enzymes. The infectoid moving in establishes itself as the new source of glycolipids and pinches down its entryway to a minor septum or pore. This allows the cavity created to continue cytoplasmic exchange between the intermembrane spaces of the sister infectoids while replicating the native structure of the host.

This growth process repeats until reaching the rough size of a mature member of its given species, at which point the septums or pores of the following generation are cut off entirely, the newly cut off daughter cells repeating the process while the mature sized biomass ceases outward growth and switches to a different behavior, a process similar to the spore production performed by free-bodied members in open waters. These spores enter the blood stream or cavities of the host and spreads through the body to cause metastatic infections of epithelial tissues. Muscles, nerves, bones and other support tissues are spared from infection. The infection generally leads to infertility as gonad cells become infected and nonfunctional. Spores may reinfest through shroud membranes, as there is no chemical distinction between it and the cell membranes of the host body, however there will be no available nucleus to capture and they will act as a dud infectoid cell inside the shroud membrane.

Eventually a significant majority of the soft tissue of the larger host is converted to Hangnail Infectoids. The blood will be rich in spores, and the mature infectoids will accumulate a high number of dud cells, reaching a tipping point that triggers them to enter their final phase of life. Once a threshold of dud cells is met, mature masses of Hangnail Infectoids will separate from one another, pulling themselves into shape to begin life in the open waters. This process is rather sudden and results in the host body crumbling apart as hundreds or thousands of individuals attempt to leave at once. This cloud of mature free-bodied infectoids lives life similar to their ancestors, filtering out food from their environment and releasing spores behind them as they swim. Sexual reproduction remains the same.

Due to the dud cell trigger that causes the completion of the lifecycle, those infectoids that have found themselves in very large hosts may not successfully reach their tipping point for many years if at all. If an individual host becomes infected with multiple individual spores, or even species, then the developing infections will continue through their usual lifecycle. If different species then the only retaliation they can inflict is the destruction of dud cells that are taken in from the blood. While dud cells from genomically different members of the same species, once free-bodied form is achieved, will supplant captured spores for the process of sexual reproduction.

Name: Albedophrey (Procellatherium marirex)
Creator: HethrJarrod
Ancestor: Coastwoodufo
Habitat: 3 Types:(Subpolar, Temperate) 3 Flavors:(Mangals, Ocean (Sunlight Zone), Beaches)
King Temperate Beach, King Temperate Coast, Always Temperate Mangal, Flisch Subpolar Coast, Flisch Subpolar Beach, Slarti Mangal, Artir Temperate Coast, Artir Temperate Beach, Artir Temperate Mangal, Soma Temperate Sea, Soma Temperate Beach, Soma Subpolar Coast, Soma Subpolar Beach, Soma Temperate Mangal, Soma Subpolar Mangal, Soma Archipelago Temperate Beaches, Soma Archipelago Supolar Beaches, Coolsteph Temperate Coast, Coolsteph Temperate Beach, Coolsteph Temperate Mangal, Darkov Subpolar Coast, Darkov Subpolar Mangal, Darkov Subpolar Beach, Blitz Subpolar Coast, Blitz Subpolar Beach, Blitz Subpolar Mangal, Maineiac Archipelago Temperate Beaches, Maineiac Temperate Mangal, Clayren Temperature Coast, Clayren Temperate Beach, Clayren Temperate Mangal, Itizz Temperate Coast, Itizz Temperate Beaches, Itizz Archipelago Temperate Beaches, Itizz Temperate Mangal, Abello Temperate Coast, Abello Archipelago Temperate Beaches, Abello Temperate Beach, Abello Temperate Mangal, Barlowe Archipelago Temperate Beaches, Anguan Temperate Coast, Anguan Temperate Beach, Anguan Archipelago Temperate Beaches, Barlowe Temperate Mangal, LadyM Temperate Ocean (Sunlight Zone), LadyM Subpolar Ocean (Sunlight Zone), North Jujubee Temperate Ocean (Sunlight Zone), North Jujubee Subpolar Ocean (Sunlight Zone)
Size: 1.3 m long, Wingspan: 3 m
Support: Endoskeleton (Chitin)
Diet: Omnivore (Cerulean Gillin, Scuttleball Gillfin, Royal Scylarian, Hullback, Diamond Pumpgill, Bigmouth Strainerbeak, Munchicanth, Pirate Waxface, Kakonat, Fatcoat, Tlukvaequabora (Berries), Tipsnapper, Umbersnapper, Minnosparrow, Scaled Srugeing, Maineiac Uktank, Srugeing, Metamorphling Gilltail, Cryobowler Srugeing, Ivy Thermoworm, Ferries (Berries), Topship Fuzzpalm (berries), Strainerbeak, Pygmy Hullback, Yellowstripe Gilltail, Plesican, Marine Glowsnapper, Plains Uktank, Green Uktank, Festive Uktank, Shailnitor), Scavenger
Respiration: Active (Unidirectional Macrolungs)
Thermoregulation: Endotherm (Feathers)
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Hard-Shelled Eggs)

This diverged from Sausophrey taking up a marine lifestyle and becoming omnivorous. It is not afraid to try to steal food from other predators and will even steal kills from Wolvershrogs. Most of its time is spent in the North Jujubee Ocean, flying around the coasts and occasionally resting on Topship Fuzzpalms.

The wings are now narrow and long in order to support an active soaring lifestyle as opposed to the passive method their ancestor used. They now have a flap of skin that is used as a pouch for carryng food. It has a special gland that processes oils in its diet, with which the Albedophrey uses to make its feathers waterproof, similar to a duck or other waterfowl. It will occassionally dive into the water to grab onto a juicy looking Gillfin or other prey.

To prepare for mating, the male Albedophrey will collect all manner of food. It will store them in a pouch on its chest, taking it back to its nest site. The female will pick the male with the meal she likes best. They will feast and then mate. Sometimes not all of the food will be eaten, causing a few organisms to spread between continents. The Ivy Thermoworm has spread to the Always Temperate Mangal and Maineiac Temperate Mangal in this way. If they feel a threat is approaching their nest, they will attack the intruder with an aggressive display.

Otherwise it is like its ancestor.

This post has been edited by HethrJarrod: Mar 29 2023, 04:56 PM

Chopsticks Fatcoat (Scipiodon caseimaculus) (cheese-spotted stick-tooth)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Fatcoat
Habitat: Dorite Subtropical Bay, King Temperate Coast, Clarke Subtropical Coast, Dorite Subtropical Beach, King Temperate Beach, Clarke Subtropical Beach, Jeluki Subtropical Mangal, Always Temperate Mangal
Size: 80 cm long
Support: Endoskeleton (Jointed Wood)
Diet: Carnivore (Digging Filterpeders, Scuttlers, Lesser Bloisters, Frabukis, Grabbyswarmers, Hitchhiker Scuttler, Minifee, Bulky Hammerhead, Charybdaran, Barnapede, Kiturorm, Burraroms, Flat Swarmer, Rugged Scuttler)
Respiration: Active (Lungs)
Thermoregulation: Endotherm (Cotton, Blubber)
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Live Birth)

The chopsticks fatcoat split from its ancestor. It is named for its long narrow fangs, which resemble, are used similarly to, and are referred to as chopsticks. It probes for food buried under sand or hidden in flora, and when it finds something it grips it between its chopsticks and pulls it out. It then uses its prehensile tongue to stun or kill the prey item and pull it into its mouth. It has an unusually short tongue for a gulper, not even reaching the end of its chopsticks when fully extended, as it is not used as much for prey capture.

A social creature, the chopsticks fatcoat basks in large groups on the beach, out of reach of aquatic predators and more easily able to defend themselves against terrestrial ones. However, it breaks up into smaller groups to search for food, maintaining some safety in numbers without scaring away all of their potential prey. The chopsticks fatcoat is more aquatic-adapted than its ancestor and no longer capable of standing upright as an adult, instead crawling like a worm or bouncing along on its belly. Juveniles can still stand up, allowing them to look around for predators. It and other fatcoats hold their breath by closing the tail nostril on the inside close to the hip, ensuring that they won't drown from having a tail injury, and will blow water from the nostril when they surface.

The chopsticks fatcoat usually mates on land. Males will compete over receptive females, nipping and tugging at each other's tails, flippers, ears, and eyes with their chopsticks and attempting to body-slam one another. The biggest and toughest males get the most mating opportunities. Gestation lasts about a month and females will give birth to 3-6 small fluffy babies. Newborns lack chopsticks and will hide in flora on or close to the shore until they are big enough to paddle against waves, at which point they will begin following their mother out to sea. Hiding at an early age also serves another purpose: aggressive males will sometimes kill newborns unrelated to them to eliminate competition and to make the females receptive to mating again, so staying hidden helps protect them from this behavior.

When the adults go out hunting, the juveniles will float on the water above them waiting for adults to pass them small morsels, staying afloat as effortlessly as a duck thanks to their thick baby fat and the air trapped in their cotton. This might seem to make them vulnerable to predators, but the adults keep an eye out--if they see something swoop or lunge for the babies, they will swim up and grab them with their chopsticks to pull them under. The babies reflexively hold their breath when grabbed, preventing them from inhaling sea water. When the threat has passed, or when the babies start to run out of oxygen, the adults let go of them and they float back to the surface, sometimes a distance away from where they were before. Despite this method of defense, many babies are still lost to predators.

Name: Fermi Giant Leafkutter (Tonsikruggus gramenophageus)
Creator: OviraptorFan
Ancestor: Leafcutter Krugg (Tonsikruggus cuttus)
Habitat: Fermi Plains, Fermi Steppe, Fermi Subpolar Volcanic, Fermi Prairie, Fermi Bush, Fermi Temperate Volcanic
Size: 30 centimeters long
Support: Exoskeleton (Chitin), Endoskeleton (Chitin)?
Diet: Herbivore (Fermiblades, Lesser Steppespire seeds (occasionally))
Respiration: ?
Thermoregulation: Ectotherm
Reproduction: Sexual, Snail-like Eggs

As many species of flora colonized the inland areas of Fermi, it was only a matter of time before herbivores would arrive to feed upon them. Among the first to colonize these areas was a population of Leafcutter Kruggs, which quickly took advantage of a lack of competition and quickly became giants, soon splitting off and becoming a distinct taxon of their own right. Known as the Fermi Giant Leafkutter, this species plays a vital role in its ecosystem by grazing on the highly abundant Fermiblades. The enormous serrated mandibles inherited by their ancestors assist with the Fermi Giant Leafkutters in this, as they can easily snip off the leaves into small chunks that can be easily eaten. Their exoskeletons have become slightly thicker to better take any cuts and scrapes that result from brushing up against the serrated edges of their food.

While they primarily feed upon Fermiblades leaves, they will also happily gobble up the shiny seeds grown from these flora as well since they provide a nice nutrient boost. Because their mandibles are adapted to snip off leaves and not crush up seeds, Fermi Giant Leafkutters will swallow these seeds whole which means that most of the seeds remain intact when they get ingested. This in turn means that while around sixty percent of the seeds that are eaten get digested, some of them are able to survive and can still grow into a whole new Fermiblades when they are excreted. Alt This in turn means they are vital seed dispersers for the Fermiblades, as the seeds can be carried a good distance away from their parents and be provided with nice fertilizer that will boost their growth. They will also feed on the seeds of Lesser Steppespires when they fall on the ground, which in turn means they also help disperse the seeds of the species of melanophyte, though they do this much less frequently since Lesser Steppespires are less common than the Fermiblades and thus are a much less reliable food source. Much like their ancestors, Fermi Giant Leafkutters will bury any surplus food underground to save it for tougher times like the cold winters seen in the region, with the digits on their feet being closer together which better helps with digging, as well as helping support their larger bodies.

Since by the time they evolved they were the largest creatures on the landscape, Fermi Giant Leafkutter adults are much more bold than their ancestors, preferring to stand their ground and fight off threats rather than running away. Indeed, the main predators at the time they evolved are certain species of Teacup Saucebacks, who in the absence of any competition have become slightly larger than most other species within the genus and tackle bigger game. The exoskeletons of the Fermi Giant Leafkutter provides good protection against the bites of these carnivores, and their mandibles can easily deliver nasty wounds that can easily cripple their assailant if not outright kill them. As a direct result of the fact they can fend off their current predators and do not have to worry about bigger carnivores, adult Fermi Giant Leafkutters do not really burrow and will instead only dig out caches to store food and small pits to lay their snail-like eggs that are then buried soon afterwards.

Young Fermi Giant Leafkutters are much more similar to their ancestors in terms of how they react to threats, as they will dig out burrows to hide in and will flee from creatures such as Teacup Saucebacks. As a fair amount of the young will be eaten by predators like Silkruggs, Neuks, and Teacup Saucebacks, Fermi Giant Leafkutters lay about a hundred eggs at a time which ensures at least a couple of their young reach maturity. Once they do reach adulthood, Fermi Giant Leafkutters can live for as long as ten years.

Alright guys! Here is a species of herbivore for the inland areas of Fermi! I also wanted to take this opportunity to give the Leafcutter Krugg some love as it was pretty neglected. Will say i intentionally left out mentioning the supposed book lungs of its ancestors and have a question mark next to "endoskeleton" because the respiration and support of scuttlecrabs in general is pretty mysterious. We really should discuss those at some point...

Anyways do give your thoughts and critiques on the submission, they are always highly appreciated!

This post has been edited by OviraptorFan: Dec 1 2022, 09:11 AM

Wolfcollar Shrog (Lopholutrasorex tepidus) (warm crested-otter-shrew)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Wolvershrog
Habitat: King Temperate Coast, King Temperate Beach, Dorite Subtropical Bay, Dorite Subtropical Beach, Ofan Tropical Coast, Ofan Tropical Beach, Ofan Tropical Mangal, Chum Subtropical Coast, Chum Subtropical Mangal, Chum Subtropical Beach, Martyk Temperate Sea, Elerd Temperate Coast, Iituem Temperate Bay, Iituem Temperate Beach, Iituem Archipelago Temperate Beaches, Martyk Temperate Mangal, Martyk Temperate Beach, Martyk Archipelago Temperate Beaches, Elerd Temperate Mangal, Elerd Temperate Beach, Clarke Subtropical Coast, Clarke Subtropical Beach, Jeluki Subtropical Mangal, Javen Tropical Coast, Javen Tropical Mangal, Javen Tropical Beach, Koopa Subtropical Coast, Koopa Subtropical Mangal, Koopa Subtropical Beach, Jlindy Tropical Coast, Jlindy Tropical Mangal, Jlindy Tropical Beach, Ninth Subtropical Coast, Ninth Subtropical Beach, Ninth Subtropical Mangal, Dass Temperate Coast, Dass Temperate Beach
Size: 2.5 meters long
Support: Endoskeleton (Bone)
Diet: Carnivore (Magnificent Slaesosaurus, Saurohound, Slaesodon, Slaesosleekus, Pygmy Lyngbakr, Blueback Scylarian, Outtablue Scylarian, Tethyssie, Shrogsnapper, Polychrome Flagthroat, Tilepillar, Slender Scylarian, Aqueryn, Aabaalki, Crushermaw Scylarian, Fatcoat, Chopsticks Fatcoat, Spineflipper, Ceryco, Crushermaw Scylarian, Shipper Buoyskin, Seamaster Seaswimmer, weakened and juvenile Galleon Lyngbakr, weakened and juvenile Terrorfang Hafgufa), Occasional Frugivore (Mainland Fuzzpalm, Fuzzpile, Topship Fuzzpalm, Fuzzweed) Scavenger (beached Lyngbakrs)
Respiration: Active (Lungs)
Thermoregulation: Endotherm (Fur)
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Placental, Pouch and Milk)

The wolfcollar shrog is descended from wolvershrogs that drifted to the newly-formed King Temperate Coast. It no longer ventures far out to sea, preferring to stay close to shore on much smaller and simpler rafts. It is both a part and a product of an ongoing feedback loop which is in the process of driving the ancestral wolvershrog to extinction, where their massive nests became less sustainable due to the ecosystem catching up to the increased presence of wood at sea, thus they produce more restricted and often aggressive descendants that stop making huge nests, which in turn outcompete their ancestor in much of its range and cut them off from inland sources of wood, further reducing wood availability and increasing pressure on remaining wolvershrog populations to adapt. With the wolfcollar shrog's appearance, the wolvershrog has vanished from LadyM Temperate Ocean and North Jujubee Temperate Ocean.

The wolfcollar shrog is named for the spikes on its neck, which resemble the spiked collars worn by terran dogs to protect their necks from wolves. They serve a similar purpose: wolfcollar shrogs have significantly more territorial disputes than most shrogs due to their narrow range and high dietary needs and are willing to kill each other over it, so the neck spikes evolved to guard their throats. This also, in a sense, makes them both the wolves and the dogs in the analogy. These are present in both males and females. Their head spikes have become crests, which help signal health to rivals and potential mates.

The wolfcollar shrog has thinner fur than its ancestor and lacks thick layers of fat, but it retains bulk in the form of muscles. Just as strong as the wolvershrog, the wolfcollar shrog uses its strength to move heavy logs and rafts over land, wrestle with prey, and fight rivals. Similar to its ancestor, it lives and hunts in groups. These groups are much larger, however, generally around 50 shrogs maximum but they can rarely number in the hundreds. A single group will control several kilometers of coastline and will fight neighboring groups. In a rather unshroglike fashion, they organize, invade, and kill mercilessly in something almost resembling war. Similar to Terran chimpanzees, their tools go unused in warfare; they instead use their teeth, claws, and tail to maim and kill. They can sometimes seem very cruel, dismembering cubs and tearing off faces and crests, but this serves a genuine purpose as a demoralizing display of power so that the opposing group will flee rather than fight back, reducing total deaths and energy used fighting. In some disputes, such as for territory expansion, females will be captured and left alive to be added to the conquerors' gene pool (though any of their existing cubs will be killed), while in cases of food shortage they will kill any that don't escape. They aren't especially amicable to other species of shrog either, particularly seashrogs which they compete with, but they only kill them during extreme food shortages.

The wolfcollar shrog is more bipedal than other shrogs, and in females its pouch faces forwards instead of backwards, more like that of a kangaroo. Males still retain a backwards-facing pouch to protect their external reproductive organs while swimming, similar to other shrogs. Adept bipedalism allows the wolfcollar shrog to keep its balance while using tools more effectively, which is important on its much smaller rafts which are more susceptible to being tossed by small waves.

The rafts of wolfcollar shrogs are not used as nests, but as mobile platforms to navigate the coasts. A long blunt stick, longer and thicker than a spear, is used to push the raft along in the direction the shrog wants to go, so it isn't entirely at the mercy of wind and currents, and they are dragged onto land above the high tide line when not in use. Prey items are stabbed to death with wooden spears and are brought back to shore to be shared with the rest of the group. Larger prey or groups of smaller prey will be hunted by many wolfcollar shrogs at once to ensure a successful kill, especially as some of their larger prey will just as readily eat the shrogs. Periodic large catches are necessary to feed them all, so they communicate vocally with one another to gather for a hunt. Their vocalizations don't differ much from those of other shrogs, though the unique "family name" feature of wolvershrogs has been repurposed into the name for an entire social group.

The wolfcollar shrog builds dens on the beach or above water in the mangrove swamp. These dens are more like typical shrog nests, being domes or squashed spheres with wooden "rib" supports arranged in a radial pattern held together by woven flora and glue made from chewed fuzzpalm berries. They lack much of the complexity of the ancestral wolvershrog's nests, but some instinctual vestige is clearly visible in mangal populations, which will construct deck-like rings around them so as to avoid the water below. These are widely spaced and belong to no specific shrog; as the group moves up and down their territory to hunt, they stop and rest at various dens they have already constructed, which are stocked with tools so that they don't have to carry a large number with them or make new ones every time they break.

The wolfcollar shrog is no longer monogamous, and it lacks a mating season. Males will show off their crests and wrestle as a display of health and strength to receptive females. A female will never choose a male with smaller crests than her own, which can cause frustration in small-crested males and ones that lost theirs in combat. However, though wolfcollar shrogs can be aggressive and pushy, as is their nature in all other things, unwanted mating advances are very rare because they require getting past an axe tail capable of severing limbs.

Like its ancestor, the wolfcollar shrog is both placental and pouched. To avoid overpopulation in its narrow range, it has just one or two cubs at a time. Gestation lasts 6 months and newborn cubs are blind and helpless. The cubs don't start to grow their spikes or saws until they are about two years old; they are weaned after one, but remain able to enter the pouch for protection for longer and are brought on hunting trips. It is common to see a cub poking out of its mother's pouch with a miniature spear of its own jabbing at gilltails in the water while its mother scans for larger prey, allowing it to practice before it's big enough to stay balanced on rafts and aid in real hunts. Once they graduate from the pouch, juveniles continue to tag along on hunting trips and help take down smaller prey, but will also aid in making tools and maintaining dens. They reach full size in about 10 years but will sometimes disperse at the age of 8; dispersing juveniles ensure there is some spread of genes between different social groups.

The wolfcollar shrog originally evolved along King Temperate Coast, but it spread to encircle the supercontinent and made its way to offshore islands and even Koseman. With its long narrow range restricting breeding opportunities, like many widespread coastal animals on Earth it is actually a ring species--though all neighboring groups can interbreed, wolfcollar shrogs from the two far extremes of its range, Elerd Temperate Coast and Dass Temperate Coast, cannot produce fertile offspring with one another if they were to somehow meet.

The wolfcollar shrog caused the following species to spread when it evolved:
- Mainland Fuzzpalm to King Temperate Beach
- Fuzzpile to King Temperate Beach
- Topship Fuzzpalm to King Temperate Beach
- Fuzzweed to King Temperate Beach
- Cleaner Borvermid to King Temperate Beach
- False Cleaner Borvermid to King Temperate Beach

Mangrove Smasher (Sumosaurus arborvastator) (tree-destroyer sumo-lizard)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Flumpus
Habitat: Adults: Jlindy Tropical Mangal, Koopa Subtropical Mangal, Javen Tropical Mangal, Jeluki Subtropical Mangal, Always Temperate Mangal, Ofan Tropical Mangal, Chum Subtropical Mangal, Martyk Temperate Mangal, Elerd Temperate Mangal, Fermi Temperate Mangal, Artir Temperate Mangal, Soma Temperate Mangal, Coolsteph Temperate Mangal, Blood Subtropical Mangal, Glicker Subtropical Mangal, Jlindy Tropical Coast, Koopa Subtropical Coast, Javen Tropical Coast, Ofan Tropical Coast, Chum Subtropical Coast, Martyk Temperate Sea, Elerd Temperate Coast, Artir Temperate Coast, Soma Temperate Sea, Coolsteph Temperate Coast; Migrating juveniles and pocket populations: Fermi Temperate Coast, Ninth Subtropical Coast, Dass Temperate Coast, Clarke Subtropical Coast, King Temperate Coast, Dorite Subtropical Bay, Mnid Temperate Ocean, North Jujubee Temperate Ocean
Size: Male: 8 meters long; Female: 4.5 meters long
Support: Endoskeleton (Bone)
Diet: Omnivore (Mangrovecrystal, juvenile Tlukvaequabora, Twinkbora, Marblora, Larandbora, Borinvermee, Common Gilltails, Miniswarmers, Grabbyswarmers, Stowaway Harmbless, Bora Scuttler, Serpungo, Pelagic Puffgrass, Raft-Building Cone Puffgrass, Hitchiker Scuttler, Scuttlers, Parasitic Branch-Lantern, Coastal Goth Tree, Pioneer Raftballs, Colonialballs, Barnosprawl, Tambuck babies, Topship Fuzzpalm, Goldilackaruck, Shailnitor, Frabukis, Swarmerscooter, Digging Filterpeders, Chopsticks Fatcoat, Clearner Borvermid, False Cleaner Borvermid, Bulky Hammerhead, Bonegrove, Harp-Hum)
Respiration: Active (Lungs)
Thermoregulation: Gigantotherm
Reproduction: Sexual, Two Genders, Oviviparous

The mangrove smasher split from its ancestor. It originated from flumpuses that moved north and encountered vast reef-like mangals along Jlindi tropical coast, but gradually hopped to more coastlines through juvenile migration and by using pockets of mangrove habitat on non-mangal coastlines. As its name implies, it smashes mangrove flora in order to eat them, as well as the fauna which flee from their destroyed hiding place. This breaks up the mangal biomes across its entire range, ensuring direct access between the coast and the shore. This supports the lifestyles of a myriad of semi-aquatic organisms that otherwise have trouble crossing dense mangals, such as shrogs, snoas, fatcoats, and more, as well as various floating and raft-building flora, on mangrove-supporting coastlines.

Due to its large size, even female mangrove smashers find difficulty supporting themselves on land. Instead, they walk on the ocean floor and periodically paddle up to breathe. They feed from deep-water mangrove flora further from shore at low tide and enter the mangals proper at high tide. In order to smash a mangrove tree, a mangrove smasher, usually a male, will target the roots with its robust forelimbs, destabilizing the plant until it topples over. This not only causes the leaves to fall into the water where other mangrove smashers can feast, but it also disturbs fauna such as gilltails and swarmers which use the mangrove roots as shelter, which the mangrove smashers snap up and eat. They will also feed on the leaves of younger mangrove trees. Being omnivorous makes their diet sustainable, as they can feed on mangroves slowly enough that they are capable of recovering later.

Juvenile mangrove smashers are better swimmers than adults. When they reach about two meters in length, they will swim away and disperse hundreds or even thousands of miles over the ocean and non-mangrove-supporting coastal waters, resting on shrog nests and rafts of floating flora along the way and using these as food sources. This behavior encourages genetic diversity and has allowed the mangrove smasher to colonize the entire coast of Wallace and some of the closest landmasses, Koseman, Fermi, and Drake.

Though Sagan 4 has a long history of local extinctions caused by new aggressive predatory or competitive behavior, the mangrove smasher's destructive feeding habit has caused no extinctions, as it achieved equilibrium without becoming so aggressive as to permanently destroy its food source. Stretches of mangal recover from a period of heavy feeding just as readily as a forest recovers from a fire, closing up old smasher-made passageways through ecological succession.

Like its ancestor, the mangrove smasher has long spines that it can clap together in front of it to make a loud "thwack" sound, which males use to intimidate rivals while females and juveniles use it to scare potential predators. When not in use, these lay draped over its back like folded insect wings. The sound produced is audible even in water, and it is able to pick up the sound using the bones of its skull and spinal column. Males (pictured) are very fat and colorful as a sign of fitness, and the biggest, strongest, and loudest males will have the largest harems. Females are slimmer in comparison and only have drab striping on their bodies.

Mangrove smasher activity causes mangrovecrystal colonies to break and float away more often. This has resulted in the mangrovecrystal successfully colonizing King Temperate Coast.

Hydra Anemoweed (Habilihydrus confundens) (confusing adaptable-hydra)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Gut Anemoweeds
Habitat: Dass Temperate Coast, Ninth Subtropical Coast, Blood Subtropical Mangal, Blood Bayou, Jlindy Tropical Coast, Jlindy Tropical Mangal, Bardic Swamp, Koopa Subtropical Coast, Koopa Subtropical Mangal, Kenotai Bayou, Javen Tropical Coast, Javen Tropical Mangal, Wright Bayou, Pipcard Bayou, Terra Swamp, Ichthy Swamp, Clarke Subtropical Coast, Jeluki Subtropical Mangal, Jeluki Bayou, King Temperate Coast, Always Marsh, Always Temperate Mangal, Dorite Subtropical Bay, Glicker Subtropical Mangal, Glicker Bayou, Ofan Tropical Coast, Ofan Tropical Mangal, Gec Swamp, Chum Subtropical Coast, Chum Subtropical Mangal, Biocat Bayou, Martyk Temperate Sea, Iituem Temperate Bay, Martyk Temperate Mangal, Elerd Temperate Coast, Elerd Temperate Mangal
Size: 30 cm wide
Support: Soft-Bodied (Hydrostatic Skeleton)
Diet: Omnivore (Twinkorals, Grabbyswarmers, Miniwhorls, Eusuckers, Brushrums, Chainswarmers, Minifee, Miniswarmers, Flashkelps, Scuttlers, Frabukis, Nectascooter, Snatcherswarmer, Hitchhiker Scuttler, Sucker Swarmer, Left-Right Scalucker, Imprisoned Wolley, Gillarill, Urmelia, Clarke Cleaner Echofin, Cala Keryh, Cocoprong, Mertiprongs, juvenile Leafy Plyentwort, Globby Boneflora, Shellflora, Bonegrass, Bonecorus, young Blooblblega, Shellise, Salt Bog Bowlwhorl, young Darwin Tuffdra, young Ashkalatongrass, Common Fraboo larvae, Bog Echofin, Wooleater Echofin, Jeluki Boneflora, Eggorger Swarmer, Moonlit Dancer, Bonebriar, Canoe Krugg, Crawling Meiouk, young Salt Buffel, juvenile Floating Pumpgill, juvenile Dunki, juvenile Common Oceanscooter, juvenile Diamond Pumpgill, juvenile Follower Gilltail, Speckled Pumpgill eggs and juveniles, juvenile Raq Urpoi, juvenile Trunk Frabuki, juvenile Sruglettes, juvenile Common Gilltails, juvenile Larvaback, juvenile South Polar Shardgill, Bora Scuttler, Salmunduses, Kyanoses, Flovars, Basilliphyta, Swarmerkings, Luminus, Tlukvaequabora berries (rarely)), Scavenger, Detritivore, Photosynthesis
Respiration: Passive (Diffusion), Aided by Photosynthesis
Thermoregulation: Ectotherm
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Spawning, Eggs)

The hydra anemoweed split from its ancestor. As its name implies, it has many mouths leading into a central stomach. This is a consequence of instinct and learning working in tandem with its unusual nervous system-based body plan regulation. As it grows, it senses its environment and will notice prey repeatedly moving right past specific parts of its body and “imagine” itself having a mouth there to catch it, changing the body form that its zooids are instructed to maintain. The logic and processing that goes into decisions like this, as in its ancestors, is handled entirely by the interconnected nervous systems of all the zooids communicating and working together, making the ability to decide to have a body part somewhere an example of emergent intelligence. What makes it unique compared to the emergent intelligence of most colonial organisms is that it affects its body form, rather than only its behavior. It is able to use some of its mouths as legs to “walk” and graze on flora and microbes while simultaneously catching prey from the water with the others.

The hydra anemoweed has developed a new category of zooid, related to holdfast zooids, called action zooids. There are two main types of these, one which threads between the external gatherer zooids and one which lines the inner surface of the body cavity. Action zooids are almost entirely muscle and serve to increase the strength and speed at which the zoon can move. These also allow it to catch quicker prey, such as swarmers and the occasional gilltail.

The hydra anemoweed’s gonad organones no longer violently burst. They have dedicated fissure planes where the connections between zooids are weaker, allowing them to break open with a spasm of their action zooids. Once the gametes have all been released, the gonads stitch back up relatively quickly. The hydra anemoweed has a varied number of gonads per individual, similar to its heads, and will grow more if it can afford to in times of abundance. Similar to its ancestor, it broadcast spawns, and an embryo will form an embryonic zoon before it hatchs, using yolk and photosynthesis for energy.

Surgeonuk (Unguosis medifictus)
{claw-boned fake-doctor}
Creator: Jarlaxle
Ancestor: Plains Uktank
Habitat: Slarti Subpolar Riparian, Slarti Mudflat, Drake Prairie, Flisch Subpolar Beach
{3 flavors (Beach, Mixed Scrub, Wetlands), 2 types (Polar, Subpolar)}
Diet: Herbivore (Doctor Pickle, Pioneeroots, Marbleflora, Snotflora)
Size: 90 cm Tall
Respiration: Active (Water Tank Gills)
Thermoregulation: Ectotherm
Support: Muscle rings, Semi-Internalized Claws
Reproduction: Sexual, Two Genders, Eggs in Water

Deep among the doctor pickle ward, the Surgeonuk is there to attend to the doctors themselves. Ever attentive to its patient, the Surgeonuk pulls together its shell-ears and flattens them to doctor pickle like a statoscope, it tests with slight knocks and quickly diagnoses the quantity and thickness of the fluids. Determining that it should proceed, it will step back into a safe distance and stretch out its scalpel-ended trunk, its hardened claw providing cover & PPE for its narrow oral proboscis. Making a slight incision and passing the end of its oral claw inside, removing whatever amount it has expertly determined to be an excess of doctor pickle juice. Once done, it will release a hardening mucus as its pulls out its proboscis, letting the patient recover.

Appearing to any passerby like an immature doctor pickle planted on a blobby tripped, the Surgeonuk has split off from its ancestor to specialize in its new source of food. Twice its ancestor's height, most of its growth is in the respiratory water tank, allowing it to venture deeper and further inland. Rather than depending on water sources, they can submerge themselves in, any source of running water will do, using their trunk to pump water into one of their two tap holes on either side. To carry the additional weight of the water, its legs stand erect beneath its body, and part of the claws have been internalized to provide limited internal support, while rings of thick muscles do the rest. Surgeonuks mate on the land mouth to mouth, and the female will use her long oral proboscis to release her fertilized eggs into the water. The only time the Surgeonuk must ventures into the water as an adult is during the winter brumation period when they will seek ponds or rivers to hide under the insulating layer of ice and slow down their metabolism.

This post has been edited by Jarlaxle: Nov 15 2022, 08:29 PM