Feroakage

As competition began to intensify at ground level, some populations of fat lizatokage would begin to turn their attention to the berries and fruit hanging on trees such as the feroak. While the berries and fruit provide a good amount of nutrients, getting to them proved to be more challenging. This would lead to several different adaptations that would lead to these populations splitting off and becoming the feroakage.

The first major differences appear in the limbs, with all four legs being longer than their ancestors and bearing large claws which help it dig into tree bark. The forelimbs also have much more flexible joints, granting the feroakage a much larger range of motion than its ancestor to help climb trees. Meanwhile, the feroakage is covered in a dense covering of osteoderms on the face, limbs, and flanks to help protect the skin from being pricked by the sharp thorns of the feroak. The feroakage still retains moderate amounts of fat to store energy for lean times, although its sources of food are relatively abundant so the feroakage does not have as much fat as its ancestor.

The feroakage primarily relies on its senses of smell and eyesight, and have retained their large nostrils in order to detect the scent of food, potential mates, or even potential predators. The osteoderms on its body provide decent protection from carnivorous fauna attempting to prey on it while the large claws can be used to swipe at attackers. The feroakage, however, relies more on its camouflage to not be spotted by its potential predators in the first place as well, along with mainly staying in the trees where most of its food is. While they don't change their colors to show their general needs and emotions since they are generally solitary, the feroakage can still do a basic shift in their color palette from dark brown to light yellow which covers the majority of the bark or substrate the species is found on. The bright colored dewlap is used to attract mates or intimidate rivals off of sources of food.

Much like its ancestors, the feroakage lays soft-shelled eggs which must be laid on the ground. When a female is close to ovulating, the feroakage will descend down from the trees and seek out cover such as under rocks or abandoned burrows. Once she finds a secluded spot, she will dig a shallow pit to lay her eggs in before covering it up and abandoning them. Once the young hatch out of the eggs, they are already capable of climbing trees and living on their own.

Through their generalistic feeding habits, the feroakage often devours fruits and berries with minimal damage to seeds which allows them to safely pass through its digestive tract. This has allowed them to spread several different species of flora to new biomes.


 * Bristlepile is spread into the Vivus Volcanic biome


 * Feroak is spread into the Vivus Volcanic biome


 * Hengende is spread into the Vivus Volcanic


 * Robust Arid Ferine is spread into the Vivus High Grassland and Vivus Volcanic biomes


 * Snow Windbulb is spread into the Vivus High Grassland and Vivus Volcanic biomes via indirectly ingesting spores


 * Strangleroot is spread into the Vivus Boreal biome via indirectly ingesting spores


 * Yuccagave is spread into both the Vivus High Grassland and Vivus Volcanic biomes via indirectly ingesting spores