Flunezen

The Flunezen has replaced its ancestor in Darwin Temperate Rainforest and Darwin Temperate Woodland and spread through out the temperate and montane forests of the supercontinent. They spend much of their time within the branches of obsidian trees such as the Obsidoak and the Gargantuan Obsiditree. The microclimate within the trees is several degrees warmer than the surrounding environment which is important for the ectothermic Flunezens. Although they sleep within obsidian trees and rely on them for shelter during the winter they do not spend their entire lives in them and will venture out into other trees in the warmer months. Flunezens are visual hunters and have excellent eyesight and hand-eye coordination. Like their ancestor their eyes are mounted on a 'V'-shaped crest which greatly broadens their field of vision. Most prey is captured with their hands rather than their mouths, their long forelimbs giving them the ability to reach prey on other branches. Their back plates have been reduced to small spines giving them more flexibility in their backs. They are solitary but not overly territorial and will tolerate the presence of others of their kind. Like their ancestor they lay hard-shelled eggs covered in adhesive mucus which glues them to the bark of their host trees. Eggs are laid on the tops of thick horizontal branches deep within the tree's foliage and hatchlings instinctively emerge from the top of the egg to prevent them from falling out of the tree. Apart from seeking suitable locations for their eggs they do not exhibit any parental care, and the young are highly precocial.