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Shroom Herder (Chimeraflora agricolaboletus)
Creator: Nergali
Ancestor: [[Ziraber]]
Habitat: [[Vivus High Grassland]], [[Darwin Chaparral]], [[Darwin Plains]], [[Dixon-Darwin High Grassland]]
Size: 1.5 m tall
Diet: Herbivore ([[Sapshrooms]], [[Supershrooms]]), Scavenger, Weak Photosynthesis
Reproduction: Sexual, Live Birth, Two Genders

Migrating outside of its ancestral homeland of Vivus and deeper into the verdant grasslands of Darwin, this descendant of the ziraber has taken on a more purely herbivorous lifestyle. They form small herds of eight to ten specimens, and will establish a territory which they will fiercely defend from other herds and competitors with the use of their prominent fangs sprouting from the sides of their beaks. Battles can be fierce, and it is not uncommon for an individual to bleed out after a particularly nasty slash to a vital artery.

Social creatures, as a group they raise their young together, often with the adults taking turns to watch them while the rest set off to forage. The various shrooms make up their diet, and as such it is not difficult to tell where they live due to the lack of them in the vicinity. Males are slightly larger than the females, and often have more vibrantly colored throat sacs. The purple coloration of their hides help them to remain camouflaged within the purple flora, while their backs retain the greenish hue where the process of photosynthesis, though weak, is performed.

What appears to be a secondary thumb is in fact an extension of the wooden wrist bone. A dense, rigid structure, it is primarily used in both defense - such as jabbing predators in their eyes - as well as for spreading an oily, musk-like secretion produced from glands beneath their arms. They coat this "thumb" in the substance and then wipe it along the surfaces of large flora and stones in order to establish the boundaries of their territories, as well as to display their overall health.

The feeding strategy of the shroom herder is, as its name suggests, a fairly interesting one, even if it is unintentional: while more than willing to graze upon existing populations of sapshrooms and supershrooms, they will also engage in "farming" them. Once they have established a territory, they will dig a shallow pit and bury within it bits of dead flora and fauna they come across, in order to to ferment it. Once a stockpile has been formed, they will feed upon it at their leisure. In doing all this, however, they have unintentionally provided the various shrooms that inhabit the region a rich medium upon which to grow on. Growing from discarded berries or partially eaten adult specimens, new shrooms will undoubtedly flourish within the pit should conditions prove favorable, and in turn provide the shroom herders with a steady food source.

An additional benefit of these pits is that they quickly start to reek beneath the heat of the midday sun, producing a rancid odor that wards off many would-be predators.

Short-Necked Shrew (Sorex alpinus)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Opportunity Shrew
Habitat: Darwin Alpine, Dixon-Darwin Boreal
Size: 1.2 meters long
Diet: Omnivore (Minikruggs, Silkruggs, Climber Crystalkrugg, Grovecrystal Krugg, Bloodback, Common Fraboo, Neuks, Proto-Uksoar, Robust Rainforest Ukjaw, Leafplate, Hikahoe, River Hikahoe, Barkback, Gnarblunter, Snowplower, Wave Gigarystal, Sheltered Pagoda, Belay Crystalroot, Flattened Gigarystal, Pagoda Crystal, Grovecrystal, Woodland Grovecrystal, Sapshrooms, Supershrooms, Berry Arbourshroom), scavenger
Reproduction: Sexual (male and female, live birth, pouch and milk)

The Short-Necked Shrew split from its ancestor and became an omnivore. As having multiple eyes didn’t make having a neck especially advantageous for looking around, its neck is reduced--allowing for some strange new adaptations. It has developed new muscles connecting its head to its shoulders, greatly increasing its strength. This has made its forelegs slightly less useful for walking, so it has become a facultative biped. However, at the same time, this also ties its forelimb and head strength, so it can also use its forelimbs to help it latch onto prey like an extra pair of jaws.

The short-necked shrew has wider hips than its ancestor. This allows it to give birth to more developed young, though nowhere near the level of a placental mammal; it still spends much of its early life helpless inside its mother's pouch. With the extra development time inside its mother, it has more energy to spend on frivolous features, so it has developed a display structure in the form of a mane running down its back. This causes it to echo the appearance of the prehistoric [[Cantro]], which was also a meat-eating bipedal shrew with a mane. This mane can be raised in a threatening display, telling other shrews or potential predators to back off, and its quality can be used as a health indicator when choosing a mate.

Like a terran grizzly bear, the Short-Necked Shrew is an omnivore. Despite having carnivorous ancestors, it instead prefers to eat a myriad of different types of food, faunal and floral alike. It is incredibly strong, and when it does hunt it is capable of taking on relatively large prey. Like its ancestor, it mostly lives inside burrows of its own creation, though due to the changes to its forelimbs making digging somewhat more difficult it may sometimes prefer to steal burrows.

Scrambled Shrew (Geminatisorex concitatus)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Neoshrew
Habitat: Dixon-Darwin Boreal, Dixon-Darwin Rocky, Darwin Chaparral, Vivus Rocky, Darwin Temperate Woodland, Vivus Temperate Rainforest, Darwin Temperate Rainforest
Size: 25 cm long
Diet: Omnivore (Pioneer Quillball, Olshkra, Osziza, Dixon Olshkra, Twin-Tail Orbibom, Lacy-Leaf Obsiditree, Grovecrystal, Pagoda Crystal, Woodland Grovecrystal, Berry Arbourshroom, Crystal Brambley, Boreal Tubeplage, Thistle Puffgrass, Pioneer Quillprong, Sandy Orbibom, Quaxaca, Fuzzyfan, Prongoli, Yuccagave, Snow Windbulb, Signpost Crystamboo, Arid Puffgrass, Inda, Tubeplage, Puffgrass, Scrubland Tubeplage, Crystamble, Tropical Puffgrass, Aloeberacteus, Hengende, Phalangrass, Strangleroot, Fibreflora, Marblemelon, Grub Krugg, Corkscrew Krugg, Minikruggs, Neuks, Xenobees, Fibrillius, Monostage Dirteater, Sunstalks, Supershrooms, Sapshrooms, Cryobowls, Cloudswarmers, Vermees, Pioneeroots, Marbleflora, Glaalgaes, Tepoflora, Silkruggs), Ovivore (Gnarblunter, Ramchin, Mountain Flunejaw, Robust Rainforest Ukjaw, Goliath Flunejaw, Needlespike Flunejaw, Montemsnapper, Westward Haglox, Harnessback, Desert Ukjaw, Great Megalaukjaw, Nightsnapper, Vivus Slitherworm, Lizatokage, Thin Lizatokage, Fat Lizatokage, Egg Lizatokage, Exoskelesor, Haglox), Scavenger
Reproduction: Sexual (male and female, live birth, pouch and milk)

The Scrambled Shrew split from its ancestor and got smaller, claiming a smaller generalist/scavenger niche. It is named for 2 features: its tendency to scramble about wildly to evade predators, and the fact that its entire genome has been duplicated, resulting in massive genetic instability and a high rate of mutations which duplicate tissues, organs, and body parts with an occasional horrifying scrambling effect. The latter feature is highly notable due to its fairly high birth rate, comparable to that of a terran rat, and as such it has also developed reasonable tolerance to these duplication mutations occuring.

Like a terran rat, the Scrambled Shrew is an omnivore that will eat just about anything. While it has a strong preference for leafy flora, it will also happily consume eggs, carrion, crystals, glass flora, and mesofauna. Like its ancestor, it is generally solitary and lives in burrows. It breeds up to 6 times a year and has 5-12 joeys at a time. Its offspring are born helpless, living off of milk in their mother's pouch for the first few weeks of their lives. Its varied diet has allowed it to spend a little energy developing sexual display structures in the form of wrist, ankle, tail, and ear tufts.

Xenowasps (Novivespa spp)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Xenobees
Habitat: Global (Sagan 4)
Size: 8-15 cm wingspan
Diet: Nectarivore, Hemotroph
Reproduction: Sexual (hermaphrodite, eggs)

Xenowasps split from their ancestor. They are known for their aggression, but unlike terran wasps this is not purely for defense--Xenowasps want blood. Using claw-like spikes around their mouths, they stab various fauna and slurp up their blood, which they use to make meat-honey somewhat like a terran vulture bee. Like their ancestor, they also consume nectar and make nectar honey as well, helping pollinate various flowering flora. They also have a long spike on their upper cloacal lip, which is used to stab potential predators. They have developed long whisker-like hairs on their mouths, allowing them to feel around without having to twist their eye-covered abdomens to see what they’re doing. Unlike their ancestor, they can fly both forwards and backwards with equal ease, their wing shape optimized for speedy backwards flight and precise forwards flight.

Like their ancestor, Xenowasps are colonial, but not eusocial. They make use of communal nests for defense and collective larva-rearing. They build silky, cotton candy-like hives high up on various flora. As mentioned before, they produce multiple kinds of honey. Honey from nectar is green, honey from most faunal blood is red or reddish-brown, and honey from plent blood is gold or amber. Their own coloration usually reflects the type of flora they nest in. Like their ancestor, they mate via cloacal kiss; they have enough coordination to avoid stabbing one another with their cloacal lip spikes.

Gushitos (Ferroculex spp)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Gushflier
Habitat: Global (Sagan 4)
Size: 1-10 cm wingspan
Diet: Hemotroph (Carpozoa, binucleid worms, iron fauna)
Reproduction: Sexual (One Gender), Ovoviviparous

Gushitos split from their ancestor and became obligate blood-suckers of all organisms with iron-based blood. With their ability to fly and their iron-based nature making them difficult to digest, their spread was near-unrestrained. Like a terran flea, they have developed heavy resistance to being squashed: even in species which have thinner exoskeletons to cope with less iron available, they can withstand immense force without being crushed.

The reproductive spear of Gushitos is kept curled under their chin when not in use. They have developed an additional wing membrane between the elbow and the neck, which serves to streamline the wing shape further and grant them better control. Gushito antennae are incredibly fluffy and sensitive, allowing them to easily hear and evade most attempts by their hosts to swat them away. Like their ancestor, they are largely solitary but gather in large flocks to mate during breeding season. Pairs fight over which one gets to fertilize the other, each attempting to stab the other’s abdomen with their reproductive spear. Genetic material is discharged directly into the wound, where the eggs inside are fertilized. The eggs eventually hatch, and the larvae grow fast and feed on the mother’s blood until they burst out, killing their mother.

There are many species of Gushito. Some specialize in specific lineages to feed from, while others are generalist feeders. Some species in colder regions hibernate underground over the winter. No matter what, though, they are only present where other organisms with iron-based blood are also present. They are somewhat better swimmers than their ancestor for the sake of not drowning in rain, but varieties that fly over oceans still largely only feed on what’s floating on the surface.

Grabbyswarmers (Pseudodactylus spp)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Miniswarmers
Habitat: Global (Sagan 4)
Size: 1-10 cm
Diet: Photosynthesis, Planktivore, Detritivore
Reproduction: Sexual (male and female, spawning)

Grabbyswarmers split from their ancestor. While Miniswarmers are largely pelagic, Grabbyswarmers are benthic, staying on the ocean floor or riverbed and climbing or crawling among aquatic flora with their namesake feature: little grabby fingers at the ends of their tails. This gives them a lower profile to potential predators and gives them greater access to detritus, though they will still swim out of this comfort zone in huge swarms when disturbed or during great blooms of plankton.

Grabbyswarmers have developed an additional adaptation which allows them to look out for predators better. Their eyes are horizontally elongated, and the pupil is divided into 3. This grants them access to depth perception in multiple directions, excellent for detecting and escaping predators as well as staying with their group while they do so.

Thirdly, Grabbyswarmers have altered their blood. Like a terran plant, they make use of oxygen just as much as a terran animal does. And with oxygen usage comes a need for a way to transport it. Instead of chlorophyll, their blood carries hemerythrin, making it purple and iron-based. This also reflects red and blue light which passes through their skin back into their chloroplasts, enhancing their photosynthesis further. This actually allows them to be faster, smarter, and more active than their ancestor, and indeed than most plents of similar size.

There are many species of Grabbyswarmer. Like other swarmers, they can come in many colorful variants. Colorful markings mainly cover their undersides, where they are unlikely to interfere with photosynthesis; the exception is purple markings, which block none of the light they use and therefore can be anywhere on their bodies. Temperate and polar species usually hibernate over winter, and polar and twilight species make use of darker pigments to cope with the dim light levels. Freshwater species tend to be smaller than saltwater species, though there are certainly many exceptions.

Snappermaw Waterworm (Fluvius Bobbitia)
Creator: Jvirus
Ancestor: Clamshut Waterworm
Habitat: Maineiac Polar Coast, Maineiac Temperate Coast
Size: 50 cm Long
Diet: Carnivore (Diamond Pumpgill, Marine Gilltail, Marine Urpoi, Surge Gilltail, Blue Gillfin, Roj, Speckled Spinderorm, Vicious Gilltail, Common Oceanscooter, Clamshut Waterworm, Scuttlers, Frabukis), Planktivore, Detrivore
eproduction: Sexual, 2 Genders, Eggs Buried in Sand

The snappermaw waterworm split from its ancestor, now living in the waters surrounding Maineiac. The species has entirely abandoned searching for a host to parasitize, instead they simply wait for their prey to come to them. The snappermaw waterworm creates its own home by digging a small burrow, utilizing both their fins and powerful lobed tail to aid in moving the volcanic sand they inhabits. After creating a burrow, they conceal most of their body within it, only sticking out its head and jaws at the burrow's entrance. After a snappermaw waterworm enters a burrow, it will only abandon it if the ground is sufficiently disturbed by a larger animal or during mating.

In their burrows, they have adopted a very lethargic lifestyle. They feed only on plankton and detritus, filtering it from the water. Unlike their ancestor, such a lifestyle is possible as their burrows help defend the snappermaw waterworm from predation. However, they cannot use these passive methods of feeding cannot sustain the animal forever. To combat this, the snappermaw waterworm has adopted a carnivorous lifestyle. If a potential prey item, usually a creature over 10 centimeters but below 60, strays too close to the snappermaw waterworm's burrow, the snappermaw waterworm will grab it with their pincer-like jaws. These jaws have evolved small hooks which easily embed themselves into struggling prey, quickly subduing it. Once the prey has been caught, the snappermaw waterworm uses its razor sharp tongue to remove chunks of flesh from the prey. This method of hunting can even overpower prey the same size as the snappermaw waterworm itself. However, it is ineffective against armored prey, as the tongue and jaws are adapted to puncture soft flesh.

The snappermaw waterworm has several methods of defence outside of its burrow. Like their ancestor, they taste horrible to most predators with a sense of taste. However, unlike their ancestor they have lost their foul odor in order to encourage prey to approach it. In the case that any snappermaw waterworm is drawn out of their burrow, the dorsal spine can stab predators and the detachable spike on their sides can lodge itself into predators.

The chemical released by its ancestors to deter other members of its species now is used for the opposite. during the early spring breeding season, the chemical is released and teels snappermaw waterworms where to find each other. They then congregate into large breeding shoals, laying their eggs in the sand before swimming away to create a new burrow. The young that hatch feed mostly on plankton and detritus before developing large jaws to feed carnivorously.

This post has been edited by Jvirus: May 4 2020, 12:21 PM

Ripping Waterworm (Fluvius cutlus)
Creator: Jvirus
Ancestor: Gilgan Waterworm
Habitat: Maineiac Polar coast, Maineiac Temperate Coast
Size: 15 cm Long
Diet: Carnivore (Strainerbeak, Scuttleball Gillfin, Shadow Seaswimmer, Umbrascale Lyngbakr, Crushermaw Scylarian, Viridimaw Lyngbakr, Cruelfang Hafgufa, Amphibidoon, Grazhun, Nonessie, Wading Leafshell, Marine Shocker, Marine Urpoi, Shellear, Surge Gilltail, Globe Gilltail, Blue Gillfin, Sealid, Vicious Gilltail, Emperor Seaswimmer, Vicious Seaswimmer, Spotted Shocker, Bloodfin Scylarian), Scavenger
Reproduction: Sexual, 2 Genders, Eggs Buried in Sand

The ripping waterworm replaced its ancestor in Maineiac Polar Coast and Maineiac Temperate Coast. Having lost its former food source, this species was forced to rely on scavenging. During the day, the ripping waterworm hides between rocks or partially beneath sand, using its coloration to its advantage as camouflage. But when dusk comes and the night rises, the ripping waterworm reveals its nocturnal lifestyle. They scour the waters of Maineiac, sensing chemicals given off by carcasses. When a carcass is found, the ripping waterworm digs into and feeds on the flesh, usually in large groups composed of other ripping waterworms which were attracted to the same carcass. In the case that a deceased food source cannot be found, the ripping waterworm will turn to an unusual diet of feeding on organisms much larger than itself. To do this, they sneak up on potential prey under the cover of darkness, usually while the prey is asleep or drowsy. Then, the ripping waterworm will bite a chunk of flesh out of the animal before fleeing into the night. Wounds left by these attacks are not particularly harmful to large animals, but are damaging enough to leave a scar that can last for the remainder of the victim's life.

In the situation that a ripping waterworm is attacked by a predator, it has several defense mechanisms beyond fleeing. The Dorsal and Caudal fins of the ripping waterworm are both sharp enough to pierce skin, especially if a predator attempts to bite the organism. In the case that this is not enough to deter a predator, the ripping waterworm has a pair of detachable spines on its sides, which can be punctured into a potential predator and in turn gives the ripping waterworm time to escape. These spines grow back in around two weeks after being detached. The focus on piercing methods of defense makes the organism especially vulnerable towards highly armored threats, which the ripping waterworm has no choice but to flee from.

This post has been edited by Jvirus: May 4 2020, 12:21 PM

Periscope Waterworm (Fluvius periscopus)
Creator: Jvirus
Ancestor: Gilgan Waterworm
Habitat: Bumpy Polar Coast
Size: 50 cm Long
Diet: Carnivore (Marine Arthrofin, Marine Bubblepede, Marine Shocker, Marine Gilltail, Marine Filtersquid, Marine Finworm, Marine Urpoi, Surge Gilltail, Blue Gillfin, Chunky Zoister, Speckled Spinderorm, Vicious Gilltail, Strainerbeak, Bloister, Cromocanth, Orangesnout Bellyswimmer, Drakescooter, Yellowstripe Gilltail)
Reproduction: Sexual, 2 Genders, Eggs Buried in Sand

The periscope waterworm has replaced its ancestor in Bumpy Polar Coast. With the loss of its main food source, it has adapted to the lifestyle of an ambush predator, allowing it to prey upon smaller organisms while avoiding predators at the same time. To accommodate it's new lifestyle, it's skull has grown into a wedge-like shape, allowing its eyes to peer over the sand it buries itself beneath. Its dorsal spines have entirely degenerated to allow the periscope waterworm to easily burrow just beneath the surface. To help with breathing while almost entirely buried, the periscope waterworm has adapted specialized pores on top of its head. These pores are larger than the average ones which cover the body and allow greater oxygen intake through the skin while buried.

The periscope waterworm can lie in wait for days, waiting for prey to pass close enough to it. Using its eyes, it can judge which organisms are potential prey or potential predators, and will act accordingly. In the case of prey, it will wait for it to approach, before darting out of the sand and catching it between its jaws. To subdue prey, it pulls it beneath the sand, allowing it to suffocate while trapped within its jaws. If a predator is spotted, the periscope waterworm will descend beneath the sand. It can hold its breath for up to 30 minutes before having to expose its head once again, hoping that the predator passes before then. If dug up by a predator, the detachable spines on its sides can be stuck into an attacker, which will grow back in around two weeks. Periscope waterworms will commonly gather together in groups, acting like a minefield for their prey. This has the result that members of the species can help each other bring down large prey, feasting on it together. However, if food grows rare, the periscope waterworms will become more territorial, forcing other members of its species out of its territory.

This post has been edited by Jvirus: May 4 2020, 12:22 PM

SWAP FOR MNIDJM

Honey Toadtuga (Spinopuga digemi)

Creator: TheBigDeepC
Ancestor: Thorny Toadtuga
Habitat: Dixon Tropical Rainforest, West Darwin Tropical Rainforest, Ichthy Tropical Riparian, Ichthy Tropical River, Terra Tropical Riparian, Terra Tropical River, Wright Tropical Riparian, Wright Tropical River, Pipcard Tropical Riparian, Pipcard Tropical River, Kenotai Tropical Riparian, Kenotai Tropical River, Dixon Temperate Rainforest
Size: 40 cm Long
Diet: Insectivore (Xenobees, Vermees, Minikruggs) Mellavore (Xenobee honey)
Reproduction: Sexual, Frog-Like Eggs laid in Water, Two Genders

The ‘’’honey toadtuga’’’ split from its ancestor, the thorny toadtuga. After spreading out throughout Dixon-Darwin’s waterways, there were all kinds of opportunities for the toadtugas to further spread throughout the continent. Among these opportunities, the easiest to take on were the rainforests. When some thorny toadtugas started to move further into the rainforests, they found themselves feeding on more terrestrial invertebrates including [[Vermees|vermees]] and [[Xenobees|xenobees]]. Though as they fed on Xenobees, they began to follow them up in the trees; in order to do this, they have evolved stronger and more dextrous fingers that allow it to better grip on foliage and climb around. The rearmost eyes also face upwards to look out for flying predators and to follow any of its flying prey,

After doing so, they also started to feed on what gives the honey toadtuga its name, xenobee honey. To help them further with feeding on xenobee honey, the honey toadtuga’s nostrils have moved further back from its snout, allowing it to continue feeding and be able to breathe. Eating this substance gave the honey toadtuga a much better advantage than its ancestor had by providing it with an extra source of energy that allowed it to travel longer distances without direct water sources. However, they are still restricted to the rainforests for their humidity and they must lay their eggs in the various nearby waterways.

In order to secure their rights to mate with females, the male honey toadtuga evolved a helmet plate with a horn on the end of it, while the female only has the helmet plate. This also doubles as a means of giving the honey toadtuga some protection against the stinging xenobees. Once the rival is defeated the male can mate with the female in the water where she deposits her eggs, and they reproduce much like how Earth’s frogs externally fertilize their eggs. Adults play no part in raising young; thus the tadpoles must fend for themselves when they hatch. Unlike its ancestor, the honey toadtuga does not hibernate at all, due to the warmer temperatures of its new rainforest home.

[Submission for MNIDJM's Contest]


Phouka (Musmanticaeflora silva)
Creator: Nergali
Ancestor: [[Electro Spelunkhoe]]
Habitat: [[Dixon-Darwin Boreal]], [[Darwin Temperate Forest]], [[Vivus Boreal]], [[Dixon-Darwin Rocky]], [[Vivus Rocky]]
Size: Male: 38.4 cm long; Female: 45 cm long
Diet: Herbivore ([[Marbleflora]], [[Pioneeroots]], [[Pioneer Quillball])
Reproduction: Sexual, Two Genders, Live Birth

With no natural predators within their ancestral homeland, the population of the [[Electro Spelunkhoe|electro spelunkhoe]] inevitably continued to grow, only kept in check by the amount of food available. When food sources were low, mass migrations would occur, the first and, for the time, most prominent of which gave rise to the [[Hikahoe]] and its descendants. This migration wave would not be the last, however, and would be followed by several other, smaller waves which typically fared poorly: the participants of these were often times overwhelmed by predators or succumbed to the elements. This went on until, after several thousand years, a particularly fruitful series of decades led to much floral abundance in [[Electro Limestone Caves]], which in turn led to a massive increase in the spelunkhoe population within. When food sources eventually dwindled, though, starvation followed. To avoid death, one of the largest migration known for the species was undergone, all in the search of new food sources. As they left the cave system, the wave eventually split into three, all of which went their separate ways.

The phouka came about from the wave that went southwards, further into the mountainous hills and temperate woodlands. There they found a bounty of flora much akin to that which grew within their ancient home, and soon adapted to feed upon it and thus flourished. Due to the cooler temperatures, they have grown bigger over the countless generations, with females being distinctly larger than the males. Skin hued a slight dusty brown, they hide amongst the underbrush, bolting at the first sign of danger, and live fairly solitary lives until the crisp air of fall blankets the land. Sensing the impending onslaught of winter that is sure to come, males will seek out females to mate with, as well as begin to gorge themselves until they have developed a fine layer of fat.

As the first snowflakes begin to fall, the phouka dig their burrows in secure, well-hidden locations, so that they may be safe from starving predators once the land is covered in snow. They will line their burrows with dried out leaves and small flora, which serve to help insulate as well as provide a quick snack should they wake too soon from their hibernation. Indeed, unlike their ancestors, the phouka have evolved the capacity to hibernate, which they utilize to help them avoid the harsher parts of the year when winter hold reign over the woodlands. Snug in their holes, they sleep peacefully until the warmth of spring arrives and wakes them from their slumber.

Many females will wake to the stirring of one to two offspring who are born towards the end of the winter. Already possessed well-developed forelimb claws and arm muscles, the newborn pups will instinctually make their way to the warm and protection of their mother's pouches. Within these pouches, which once formed a part of the photosynthetic wing structures of earlier plents, the mothers now secrete a thick, sugary sap-like substance which the young eagerly lap up for nourishment, much akin to how the offspring of other species of Sagan IV consume milk.

The young will stick with their mothers for three to four months, during which they will leave the pouch within a quarter of that time. During this period of time, they will learn what food is safe to eat, how to dig burrows, as well as how to avoid predation. Should they manage to survive to adulthood, they will potentially live up to half dozen years should neither sickness or predation claim them.

Regal Sphinx (Subnixiflora gelidamons)
Creator: Nergali
Ancestor: [[Electro Spelunkhoe]]
Habitat: [[Dixon-Darwin Boreal]], [[Blood Tropical Riparian]], [[Bardic Tropical Riparian]], [[Kenotia Tropical Riparian]], [[Pipcard Tropical Riparian]], [[Wright Tropical Riparian]], [[Terra Tropical Riparian]], [[Ichthy Tropical Riparian]], [[BioCat Tropical Riparian]], [[Gec Tropical Riparian]], [[Glicker Tropical Riparian]], [[Jeluki Tropical Riparian]], [[Always Tropical Riparian]]
Size: 40.4 cm long
Diet: Omnivore ([[Pioneeroots]], [[Minikruggs]], [[Vermees]], [[Cushprongs]], [[Salt Buffel]], [[Puff Reed]])
Reproduction: Sexual, Two Genders, Live Birth

With no natural predators within their ancestral homeland, the population of the [[Electro Spelunkhoe|electro spelunkhoe]] inevitably continued to grow, only kept in check by the amount of food available. When food sources were low, mass migrations would occur, the first and, for the time, most prominent of which gave rise to the [[Hikahoe]] and its descendants. This migration wave would not be the last, however, and would be followed by several other, smaller waves which typically fared poorly: the participants of these were often times overwhelmed by predators or succumbed to the elements. This went on until, after several thousand years, a particularly fruitful series of decades led to much floral abundance in [[Electro Limestone Caves]], which in turn led to a massive increase in the spelunkhoe population within. When food sources eventually dwindled, though, starvation followed. To avoid death, one of the largest migration known for the species was undergone, all in the search of new food sources. As they left the cave system, the wave eventually split into three, all of which went their separate ways.

The regal sphinx - sometimes referred to as royal sphinxes due to the coloration of the males - came about from the wave that went westwards towards the deeper boreal wilderness. Similar to their cousin, the [[phouka]], which also inhabits the same region, they have adapted well to the local cuisine. Dining upon a wide variety of small flora and tiny fauna, they grow fat on vermees, minikruggs, and various rooted purple flora. They prefer to dwell near ponds and lakes that abound about the region, and have thus adapted to this lifestyle by developing a limited capacity to swim. They will, however, only swim during the spring and summer months, as otherwise the waters are too cold to dwell in.

Compared to its ancestor, the regal sphinx has evolved to become larger and more robust, a necessity for surviving in a cooler environment. Their feet have become larger, with fleshy pads that help them to avoid sinking in the mud and even freshly fallen snow. Males posses a prominent scarlet crest, which they use to display their health and strength to potential mates, as well as a striking green hue on the skin of their heads. Females, meanwhile, lack these features, being fairly drab in comparison. Regal sphinxes mate for life, with both parents caring for the young as they carry them about in their pouches. Because of this, females tend to produce four to six offspring with every mating.

While typically inhabiting the highlands most of the year, when the cold touch of winter begins to settle down upon the land, the regal sphinx will head down from the hills, traveling along the riverbanks. A plethora of various riverside dwelling flora and fauna abound in these regions, providing them with a rich bounty to nourish themselves upon. Small groupings, brought together by happenstance, become incredibly common in these warmer regions during the winter. They will seek out mates during these times, and will start to raise their families here was as well. Once the young are large enough, they will travel alongside their parents back into the boreal regions once the warm of spring has returned to them.

This post has been edited by Nergali: May 16 2020, 09:45 AM

(Dorite did the colors, btw)

Miniwhorls (Rotoradiculus spp.)

Creator: sad-dingus
Ancestor: [[Marine Whorl]]
Habitat: [[Global]] (sunlight and twilight marine zones)
Size: 1cm-5cm
Diet: Filter-feeder (20μm-500μm)
Reproduction: Sexual; broadcast spawning

In the vast blue depths of LadyM and Jujubee, the niche of mesofaunal zooplankton seemed surprisingly empty, the only organisms filling it being some smaller species of [[Miniswarmer]] and [[Krillpede]]; this statement can only be true for so long, as the transient fauna of Sagan 4 will eventually fill these empty niches. An errant population of [[Marine Whorl]] from the crowded [[Krakow Polar Coast]] followed an upwelling of nutrients and microbial plankton circulating to the east. From there, the descendants of this population spread out further and reached more of the planet’s oceans, attracted by the abundant nutrients; as the populations continued to spread, they diverged and speciated as their numbers increased throughout many environments. In only a little more than a million-years' time, from that ancestral stock came a vast genus of planktonic fauna - species numbering in the hundreds and can be found in practically all marine biomes above the midnight zone.

The typical Miniwhorl possesses a four-point radial symmetry. On the base of a Miniwhorl is a wide orifice which leads to an extensive internal cavity which handles gas exchange. This cavity radiates into a fine network of canals where oxygen is diffused into the whorl’s cells; carbon dioxide is released into these same canals and is expelled through tubes on the underside of the whorl’s arms. Due to this, Miniwhorls completely lack blood.

Miniwhorls acquire food using feathery tendrils trailing from their arms. Food captured by the tendrils’ fine bristles is digested externally, and the remaining slurry of foodstuffs is transported inside them through many small pores before being circulated throughout a primitive intestinal network, where nutrients will be absorbed directly by the whorl’s cells. Food waste will be sent down the intestinal network to a ring of pores under the base, so as not to contaminate the feeding tendrils.

As free-swimming plankton, Miniwhorls locomote by vigorously beating their tails with rapid alternating contractions of simple muscles, which often appears to be a corkscrew-like motion to outside observers. The tail is located on the center of the underside of the base to ensure efficient maneuverability and was the ancestral condition of the greater whorl clade. On occasion, a whorl may fold its radial arms inwards, reducing drag - and with a strong motion of its tail, can achieve a momentary burst of speed to escape some precarious situations, though this strategy costs energy.

Miniwhorls lack a truly centralized nervous system; signals are instead communicated throughout the body via a nerve net. Sensory organs are similarly simplistic: the apical “thorns” of their ancestor - as they lacked any hard, mineralized reinforcement - were not efficient at defending from enemy attack, thus they became chemoreceptive setae. These mainly serve to relay information on where the nearest concentrations of prey are, and the information processed by its crude nerves propel it to its meal.

A major factor in how the Miniwhorl genus achieved such diversity is the innovation of sexual reproduction. In conditions of notable abundance, mature Miniwhorls start producing copious quantities of gametes to be expelled into the water; the gonads are located near the anal pores. Usually, female whorls release many thousands of oocytes into the water, then the males bathe the oocytes in clouds of their own sperm - each spermatozoon atavistically resembling the Ur-Mancerxian, [[Protomancerxia Binarflagella]]. The oocytes and sperm conjugate, mixing genes from each parent, and developing into eggs; with a seemingly almost-infinite possibility of any combination of parent genes, greater genetic variation within the genus is ensured, compared to the exclusivity of chance mutations in the ancestral stock. Within a timeframe approximate to a week (Sagan 4 does not have days strictly as long as those on Earth), the eggs hatch into tiny larvae tangentially resembling the Miniwhorls’ ancient ancestor - the [[Radia Primus]] - but with a tail. Recent larvae are typically around 500μm long on average and few will survive long enough to grow and develop into adulthood - typical for an r-strategist. It usually takes little under a Terran month for a larva to develop into a mature Miniwhorl.

Due to the massive diversity of the Miniwhorl genus, individual species can often be hard to distinguish from morphology and behavior alone, although trends shared among subgenera can be less difficult to observe. Species with ranges in the tropics are migratory, following nutrient-rich currents into and eventually out of the otherwise desert-like equatorial oceans. Likewise, there is a greater richness of species in temperate and polar waters, thanks to the consistent abundance of nutrients and oxygenated water there. Larger species are typically found in the lower photic layers, but never deeper than the twilight zone; while they mainly gorge on marine snow particles, on many nights they rise to waters closer to the surface to stuff themselves on the abundant plankton of the sunlight zone, as most of their would-be predators are inactive.
Due to their unsophisticated bodyplans, certain morphological features like the number of feeding tendrils on each arm can easily reduplicate among different species of Miniwhorl; larger species such as R. vexilloaster (not pictured) typically have more feeding tendrils - up to four on each arm.

Certain species such as R. stylomorpha (top left) and R. conicus (top right) are bullet-shaped and have comparatively longer tails to facilitate a speedier morphology and active behavior, although the majority of species have wide arms and are apically-flattened to suit a more placid nature, like the 1.6 centimeter-wide R. plumosus. (bottom left) Given a couple million years of genetic drift, these subgeneral morphs could diverge into distinct genera of their own.

This post has been edited by sad-dingus (chillypaz): Apr 26 2020, 04:53 PM

Swap for Nergali

Tethyssie (Plesiomimus caldunatatori)

Creator: TheBigDeepC
Ancestor: Nonessie
Habitat: LadyM Tropical Ocean (Sunlight Zone), BigL Tropical Coast, Jlindy Tropical Coast, Jujubee Tropical Ocean (Sunlight Zone)
Size: 3.2 m Long
Diet: Carnivore ([[Scuttleball Gillfin]], [[Royal Scylarian]], [[Diamond Pumpgill]], [[Snapperbeak Hookphlyer]], [[Serpungo]], [[Gulperpump]], [[Larvaback]], [[Munchicanth]], [[Greater Wolley]], [[Jlindohve]], [[Shardscale]], [[Dixon Finback]], [[Bigmouth Strainerbeak]] young) Scavenger
Reproduction: Sexual, Live Birth, Male and Female

The '''tethyssie''' split from its ancestor, the nonessie. When some nonessies crossed into the tropical oceans, they ended up in areas with more space, less competition, and good sources of food that allowed them to become larger than their ancestors.

Much like its ancestor, the tethyssie still feeds on smaller sea-dwelling organisms that can fit in its mouth and it still hunts during dawn and dusk. But as it started to feed on more clever, more aggressive, and especially vision-reliant prey, it had to adapt a few extra features to deal with such matters. The first of these are that its teeth curve slightly backwards towards the gullet, preventing prey from escaping its maw; the second adaptation is tougher skin that can handle attacks from defending [[Jlindohve|jlindohves]]; the third adaptation is that the top half of its body has splotches of color that resemble [[Pioneer Raftballs|pioneer raftballs]], allowing it to further blend into its environment.

Aside from these changes, it remains the same as its ancestor.

Despite spreading out into the tropical oceans of Sagan 4, the tethyssie has not entered in the King Tropical Coast and the Chum Tropical Coast due to too much competition with the slaesosaurs in the area.


Unaltered image to give a better idea on actual colors


This post has been edited by TheBigDeepCheatsy: May 8 2020, 07:25 PM

Kehaida (Pengsongalong yusheng)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Weavesnapper
Habitat: Vivus Polar Scrub, Vivus Taiga, Vivus Temperate Rainforest, Darwin Temperate Woodland, Darwin Chaparral, Darwin Temperate Rainforest
Size: 25 cm long
Diet: Omnivore (Minikruggs, Silkruggs, Vermees, Sapworms, Xenobees, Xenowasps, Neuks, Cloudswarmers, Sunstalks, Sapshrooms, Supershrooms, Marbleflora, Pioneeroots, Glaalgaes), Scavenger
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Hard-Shelled Eggs in Woven Nests)

The Kehaida split from its ancestor and moved inland. Instead of living on herbivores, which are unstable and prone to predation, this tiny omnivorous snapper builds its nests on rocks and in flora. Its nests are made of down feathers and leaves, the latter chosen carefully to match its environment so that it is not easily discovered by predators. It is a generalist, able to eat a great variety of small flora and fauna of many different kinds. To support a varied diet, its jaws are strong and its teeth have large serrations that can tear through flora and fauna alike. The Kehaida’s wings are rounder than those of its ancestor and it has lost the claw at the end of each wing. This reduces drag, making it a better flyer. It is a social creature, travelling in loose flocks to forage for food. These flocks serve as a form of defense, as all it takes is one member to notice danger and all will take to the sky and flee. To assist in its survival, though it has no ears it does have the ability to hear through the bones of its jaws, much like a terran salamander.

Apart from choice in nesting location, the Kehaide’s breeding habits are fairly similar to its ancestor’s. Once one finds a mate, they will build a nest of feathers and flora using their sticky saliva. They take turns incubating the eggs and chicks while the other forages for food. Their chicks are born helpless but mature quickly, leaving once they can fly and their plumage has developed enough that they can survive outside.

This post has been edited by Disgustedorite: May 31 2020, 07:06 AM