Thorny Leafshell

The thorny leafshell split from its ancestor the leafshell. It has moved to Barlowe Tundra where it specialized in eating only the fruit of the standing piloroot. Their beak is now better suited for eating fruit. It has regained its thick layer of blubber to deal with the polar climate. Their photosynthetic shell now has sharp wooden thorns to protect it from tundra predators. Like their ancestor their skin too is photosynthetic which gives them a boost of energy during the day. They have lost their webbed feet and have gained stubbier feet with wooden toenails. It ha a longer neck to reach up to eat fruit. They can run moderately fast to escape predators but will typically huddle in circles with their thorny back facing out to defend against predators. Like it's relatives its butt nostril can close and retract slightly. They stay in small herds 10 to 15 members. They each have their own mate and will both help raising their offspring. They will even build a nest for the 5 to 10 offspring to stay in until they are old enough to leave the nest. Each nest is made of leaves and branches. The parents pre-chew the food for the babies and then regurgitate them up for them to eat. The offspring have no thorns when born. When they reach maturity they will grow their defensive thorns.