Mountsnapper

The Mountsnappers are descendants of tipsnappers who migrated to Maineiac Peak and Maineiac Volcanic. They have made several adaptations to the harsh and wintry climate of these areas, with the first being the evolution of much larger and more efficient lungs so as to cope with the lack of oxygen at high altitudes. To protect from the cold, they have a thick layer of feathers which are a mottled gray, providing camouflage against the rocky mountain background. Due to their now omnivorous diet, they have a variety of teeth with some sharp and made for tearing flesh, and others peg like for chewing on flora. As a method of protection against the harsh climate, their eyelids are now much thicker and slitted so pebbles and snow are unable to get into them. Their claws have become much more long and dexterous so as to aid in scaling the mountainside while the skin of their feet has become thick and tough to prevent them from being cut. However, their wings have become less powerful than before and can now only be used for short glides.

While Mountainsnappers are normally very solitary and territorial creatures, they shall congregate on the mating season which usually occurs near the end of the summer, at which point hundreds of them can be seen congregating and vying for mates. The eggs of Mountsnappers normally take around two weeks to hatch, during which the mother shall not eat a thing and will simply stay with the egg, guarding it. After they hatch, Mountsnappers age rather quickly reaching sexual maturity in just one and a half years and having an average lifespan of just 5. Their nests tend to be constructed at high altitudes, out of the way of predators and are made from the stems of baebulas.