Hedgimal

The lengthened neck and forelimbs of the hedgimal help it feed on the robust arid ferine. It mostly feeds on young robust arid ferines, for it is not tall enough to fully exploit the resource of fully grown robust arid ferines. To be specific, it has access to less than half of the flora's crown.



The red line indicates the feeding range of a fully grown hedgimal on a fully grown robust arid ferine, not counting the range added by the hedgimal's prehensile whiskers.

However, it still has access to the entirety of the flora's trunk, from which it gnaws off bark. When shoots, flowers, and fruits are out of season in autumn and winter, it eats almost exclusively the bark of the robust arid ferine. It switches to the more nutritious items when they are available.

It has incisors similar to its distant ancestor, the hoofbear plent. These do not show when its mouth is closed, but are quite visible when it gnaws on bark. Other than its incisors, it has no teeth: its food is swallowed immediately and then processed in its two stomachs. These stomachs are primitive and fairly small, but they suffice for extracting sustenance from bark. The stomachs even grow to 1.5 times their usual size in the autumn and winter, and shrink in the spring. The growth and shrinkage of its stomachs depends on the amount and kind of sugars it ingests, so hedgimals fed their spring or summer diet year-round in the lab will not experience stomach growth.

Due to its long forelimbs, it has difficulty feeding on things on the ground. If not for its prehensile whiskers, the hedgimal would be unable to eat things lying on the ground. Though able to grip fruit, the whiskers cannot exert much force, which means it is unable to wrest food on the tree that is out of its mouth's reach. It is unclear if its whiskers even have proper muscles at parts other than the base.

The bristles on its limbs and flanks detach easily but grow back quickly, keeping them in a state of five o'clock shadow equilibrium. It often loses these by brushing against vegetation en route to a robust arid ferine. It has tough soles, so it does not mind stepping on its shed bristles. However, its competitor, the giant hornface, has no protection against shed bristles, and thus may be discouraged from competing with the hedgimal for robust arid ferine fruit.

It has rudimentary vision and poor echolocation ability, which is why it inadvertently brushes against vegetation. The "whiskers" on its feet and chest help it detect objects near them, but, since it has no "whiskers" on its flanks, it has little warning that it is brushing against something.