River Pipent

The river pipent evolved from its ancestor to spent most of its time in the waters and roam around in the Russ River. It has grown in size and changed its form greatly to become more hydrodynamic. It rarely stays inland, mainly to rest and give birth in the riverbank, and lives and feeds mostly in the water. It can breathe by swimming near the water edge through its snorkel like butt-nostril and dive for a few minutes without breathing when it needs to hunt or feed.

Another physical adaptation the river pipent has is specification of each eye pair. The bottom pair of eyes is more adjusted to seeing underwater and is slightly redder while the top pair is adapted for seeing outside of the water and is slightly greener. When it swims the river pipent keeps the upper pair out of the water while the bottom is scattering the waters. It has lost its ear and instead has a hearing membrane better adapted to the water at the sides of its head.

They maintained their ancestors’ social behavior and intelligence and lives in packs of up to 10 members that raise their young, take care of each other, and work as a leaderless group. They maintained their laughter and tickles and even adapted it for their social benefit. Tickling became the most common social interaction, which can take place between any river pipent at all ages. They use it to relief tensions in the pack, to test new river pipents that join the pack, and just for the fun of it in order to show mutual care. They tickle each other mainly by rubbing their tails. Their laughter is very loud and squeaky similar to the sound of some little kids squeakers.

In mating season the pack separates for some time. River pipents are monogamist and in each mating season the couples separate from the group to mate. Their young are born rather small and for the first two months of their lives are very helpless. The first month the parents take care of the young while they stay in the nest back at the shore and one parent every time stays to guard them and the other goes to get food. Then after a month the pack regroups in the exact same place they detached and return to their united lives in the water. Because the young can’t swim for the next month of their lives the parents carry them with their back legs. Every pregnancy the mother gives birth to exactly two offspring.

In a few cases it has encounters with the corpse-bearing pipent, its ancestors, when it enters the deeper river waters looking to drag corpses to the shore. Most of the times its loner ancestor has no chance against the much bigger pack and is often either scared off or killed by the usually peaceful pack. The river pipent can also feed on its ancestors’ young.