Quilled Probeface

As the climate continued to warm and ecosystems continued to build upon themselves, a population of Probing Waxface would move away from the harsh deserts to settle the nearby grasslands, scrub, and temperate woodlands. Living alongside new kinds of prey as well as some competition, they would develop adaptations to surviving in these habitats and became a distinct taxon of their own right.

Known as the Quilled Probeface, this species of waxface possesses many adaptations, both inherited from its ancestors and features that had only just evolved. While it no longer lives within the arid deserts, the warm temperatures of Barlowe mean the feathers of the Quilled Probeface remain relatively short and close to the body. Instead of being a dull brown in coloration, however, the feathers have become a mixture of purples, reds, and blacks to better blend in with the various kinds of foliage found within their range. This in turn provides the Quilled Probeface better camouflage, helping it to avoid being spotted by both prey and potential threats.

As the areas outside of deserts are more dominated by plents instead of dwellers, the Quilled Probeface has had to broaden its diet and now feeds on a wide range of small game. The Quilled Probeface does still need to rely on echolocation to navigate its environment and identify other creatures in the area, but when it does detect potential prey it changes its strategy. By only using their ears to listen for movement so they can determine what direction the target is headed, the waxface will become completely silent and start stealthily moving towards the source of the sound. If the source is close enough, the Quilled Probeface will become rapidly echolocating to get as much information as possible while charging towards the target. The two fused tusks will be used to stab into the flesh of its prey, usually a type of buttpiper, repeatedly until the creature will succumb to shock and blood loss. After the kill is made, the Quilled Probeface will then stab the tusks into the victim once more to begin feeding.

As it feeds exclusively upon the blood of its prey, the tusks prove quite useful for a variety of reasons. The wax that coats the tusks is adhesive, meaning blood will flow upwards through the large groove running down the middle of the “proboscis”. When the blood gets close enough, the Quilled Probeface will use their short but wide tongue to lick it up and be swallowed. This feeding strategy can be fairly slow, but it works pretty well and provides the waxface with both food and moisture. Once the carcass has been sucked dry, it will be left for scavengers that can actually feed on the meat. On some occasions, however, larger carnivores like the Woodland Gossalizard will arrive on the scene and try to force the waxface away from the kill. In these scuffles, the Quilled Probeface will rely upon their namesake quills, which are derived from feathers, for defending themselves. The quills on the neck and back provide protection against the bites of an aggressor, with the quills being extra long behind the head for this reason. The quills on the tail, meanwhile, can be used to smack an attacker in the face, causing pain and potentially even blindness if the quills hit an eye. If all else fails, the Quilled Probeface can rely upon its long limbs to quickly flee the scene and abandon the carcass to the other carnivore.

The eggs are still retained within the mother until they begin to hatch, after which the several dozen larvae will be born live before soon after attaching themselves to the feathers at the base of the tail with their snorkels. From there, they will be regularly fed regurgitated food from their mother until they grow out their legs and lose the snorkels. By that point, the young leave their mother and start their solitary lives.