Poultu

The poultu replaced its ancestor in Fermi Desert. It arose in response to predation by the snapperky. When confronted by the predator, it will rise up and stand on two legs with the aid of its "batterpods", which are the modified battering paddles of its ancestor. This makes it look much larger. Furthermore, a fully-grown poultu standing upright is even taller than a snapperky. This tactic amplifies its perceived strength, and may discourage snapperkies. (which will turn away from a hunting attempt should its prey be able to match its strength) If a snapperky should continue in its attempt, a poultu will wield its batterpods as clubs and defend itself. Its secondary shoulders don't have a wide range of motion: they move mostly forward and back. Thus, strikes are delivered similarly to the kicks of humans. Poultu often strike at the chests and underbellies of snapperkies, and may cause hemorrhaging in any organs located there. The position of a poultu's eyes are different from its ancestor's. The first pair (closest to the snout) are wider-spaced, letting it see if any predators are coming from the sides. The second pair of eyes, to a limited extent, can see behind it. The third and uppermost pair are aimed skyward, letting it spot snapperkies in flight. However, having a pair of eyes aiming at the desert sun is not a good idea, so unless it suspects a predator is nearby it usually keeps them closed. It has further protection from sun damage in the form of brow-like ridges along its uppermost eyes, which help shade the eyes from the sun. Poultu are browsers, feeding on specific parts of higher-growing flora. Their narrow snouts can pass between the spines of the spinetower to take a bite out of unprotected parts. Hungrier poultu may try to strike at the base of the spikes with their batterpods to remove the spikes from the spinetower. While this can potentially make much more of the spinetower available, poultu do this only when very hungry because they have poor technique and may accidentally walk on the fallen spikes, causing them much discomfort and possible lameness of the afflicted foot. Being taller than an individual greyblades, they are able to stand on their batterpods and feed on the unprotected spore chamber. However, they must be careful when feeding, for if any of those sharp leaves are especially long, the poultu may be stabbed in the neck. Unlike its ancestor, the adult poultu does not eat larands. Its snout is so long now that it is difficult to crop low-growing larands from the sand. However, young poultu resemble their ancestor more. Their broader mouths and smaller size make eating larands worthwhile. Poultu still lay froglike eggs in cryobowls they carry in their arms, but the young now grow up much faster. When they are 5 cm long they leave the cryobowls they hatched in and bury themselves in a nearby mound of their parents' dung. In the desert heat, a crust soon forms on the outside of the dung mound that prevents the moisture in the interior from evaporating. The young poultu complete their maturation into a more land-adapted form in the moisture of the dung mound. During that time, they eat organisms they find inside the dung mound. The greater protein in this diet of vermees and dartirs accelerates their growth. In ten to twelve days they complete their transition to a land-adapted form, but are still so small they are especially vulnerable to predators. Thus, most of the time they hide in their parent's dung. (The parent comes back to a specific spot to deposit its dung, and is capable of holding it in for some time.) At this age, they may eat any larands they find just outside the dung mound. They leave the dung and assume an adult diet once they are about 50 cm in size.