Pickaxe Tamow

The pickaxe tamow split from its ancestor the marine tamow split. It has moved inland and is no longer aquatic. It is much leaner and thin than its ancestor. Its hears are large to keep it cool and its hair is short and white. This helps it both reflect heat and blend in with the white sand and soil of Dixon. It has black patches under its eyes to help it reduce glare from the sun. Like its ancestor they work in groups, but rather than a floating home they make adobe dwelling using their pickaxe like tails and large digging claws. They wag their pickaxe tails from side to side to loosen dirt. These dome shaped homes also go down into the ground. Sometimes all the way down to the water table so they can get access to freshwater. They also also self ventilating with chimney-like towers that let out the warm air. The surface domes can be around 5 meters tall. However the res of the dwellings go much deeper. They are hearty and can consume flora that have spines and thorns. Like their food they also have quills on their back to protect them from predators. These quills are made of keratin and are both hard and sharp. Their ears have grown larger to help dissipate heat from their bodies. Like their ancestors, they are warm blooded and give birth to live young. The live young live in the warm pouch until they either have grown too big or they grow quills. However they will still nurse milk from the mother for up to a year after birth even if they cannot fit in the pouch.