Skunk's Pheres

With the inland areas of Fermi being only dominated by the Fermiblades, it presented a population of Fuzzy Beachballs to colonize the area and thrive. Over time, Fuzzy Beachballs that grew in these inland areas would develop adaptations to survive in the area and eventually split off into a new taxon of their own right. The competition provided by the Fermiblades meant these descendants, known as the Skunk's Pheres, did best in areas where the violetgrasses struggled to grow. This included small ridges too steep for the valadanaceans to take root as well as large boulders that lack any soil. Because the Skunk's Pheres produce an adhesive secretion, they can stick on these surfaces without falling off, and thus they can avoid direct competition with the Fermiblades and thrive. While they do best in areas Fermiblades won't grow, Skunk's Pheres can grow alongside the violetgrasses, though they often are less common since they get shaded out.

Much like their ancestors, the Skunk's Pheres use their darker coloration to better absorb sunlight, while the fuzz that covers their entire surface still helps with retaining heat. Because of these ancestral adaptations, the Skunk's Pheres can still get enough sunlight to survive being overshadowed by Fermiblades as well as tolerate the cooler winter months that are prevalent on Fermi. In especially cold times, these stickyballs can still go dormant, conserving their energy reserves until the days get longer and temperatures rise once more with the return of spring. During this time of plenty, Skunk's Pheres will rapidly bud new individuals asexually, which helps keep up with Minikruggs nibbling on them. Another defense these organisms possess, however, is the moderate amounts of sulfur present in their tissues. Absorbing the sulfur from the volcanic soil and rocks they grow on, Skunk's Pheres are slightly yellow in coloration due to the decent amounts of sulfur they take in. The sulfur acts as a predator deterrent, as most species of Minikruggs find the taste of sulfur unpleasant and thus will leave these stickyballs alone, though a few specialized species will ignore the sulfur taste and feed on the Skunk's Pheres anyway.

When the area becomes overcrowded by populations of Skunk's Pheres, they will stop budding and switch to sexual reproduction. Certain Skunk's Pheres will burst open and release gametes into the air, which get carried by the wind until they meet those of another individual and fuse together. Being fertilized, the resulting spore will then land on the ground somewhere and become a new individual, who will begin budding asexually soon after.