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Tracheal Fangbunny (Neovesicapodus arterium)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Fangbunny
Habitat: Adult: Darwin Monsoon Forest, Darwin Tropical Savanna, Darwin Tropical Rainforest, Darwin Subtropical Woodland, East Darwin Chaparral; Breeding and larvae: Kamm Tropical Watershed, Darwin-Vailnoff Tropical Watershed, Darwin-Rhino Tropical Watershed, Zorcuspine Subtropical Watershed, Darwin-Rhino Subtropical Watershed, Zorcuspine Subtropical River, Kamm Tropical River
Size: 6 cm long
Support: Soft-Bodied (Muscular Hydrostat)
Diet: Adult: Carnivore (Corpse Spardis, Nightworms, Nimblemites, Paneltopedes, Plentmowers, juvenile Azdasnatch, juvenile Azderoo, juvenile Catbug, Corpse Spardi, Crystal Goblin, juvenile Eriken, juvenile Hoppok, Hornsnap, juvenile Hyenaroach, Mycostrum Knightworm, juvenile Pinsyk, juvenile Rummagebug, juvenile Sagmalix, Tinyknight); Larvae: Carnivore (Warmbuns, Grapplebuns)
Respiration: Passive (Tracheae)
Thermoregulation: Ectotherm
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Spawning, Eggs in Water)

The tracheal fangbunny replaced its ancestor, including in the coastal region where it had only existed as dormant eggs. As a creature which was fairly large for the standards of organisms with passive respiration, its ancestor had nearly gone extinct from the suffocating drop in oxygen levels and was very lucky to have rafted to Darwin and produced this descendant. To increase its surface area, the tracheal fangbunny has, as its name suggests, developed tracheae through an invagination of its ectoderm during embryonic development. The cells lining the tracheae contain keratin, providing support which prevents the tracheae from folding or collapsing. Though not as complex as an insect’s, they extend throughout the mesoderm, while the pumping of its many hearts brings oxygen to deeper organs through its green iron-based blood.

The addition of the tracheal system leaves the Tracheal Fangbunny more vulnerable to water loss. To help prevent desiccation, its gonad openings have shifted position away from its armpits, instead opening into the fold left over from its vestigial belly foot. This has the side effect of its gametes coming out covered in mucus. This had a cascade effect on its reproductive method, as the mucus prevented eggs from being swept downstream because they were stuck to rocks or flora, and therefore females no longer had to broadcast spawn. In response, males will now seek out females based on their pheromones. Mating rivalry does not yet exist, so if a large gathering of males and females arrive in the same spot they will all spawn together.

Much like its ancestor, the tracheal fangbunny is a predator capable of taking down small stinzers such as spardis, as well as other small fauna, even those that are a little larger than itself thanks to its huge fangs. With some of its prey being armored creatures like arthrotheres, it is more muscular than its ancestor to help it grapple with them. It is a common bane of the nests of larger fauna, as it can sneak in to eat babies pretty easily compared to other predators. It detects predators and prey alike partly by scent, using the characteristic flicking of its chemoreceptive tail, and partially by sight using its enclosed cup eyes.

I've mentioned it a couple times before, but I'll mention it here too so it can promote further discussion: I don't really like how the submission name is implemented into the image here. The large size of the text is distracting, and the overly-stylized, mixed capitalization, likely dyslexia-unfriendly font doesn't help.


I don't have anything to say yet about the submission itself, other than that it looks a little bit like some of Jarlaxle's ideas for the lineage. It kind of looks liek a mix between a hairless mammal and a velvet worm.