Tamwodjir

When the Marine Tamow arrived on the Driftwood Islands, there was very little competition present and thus allowed them the opportunity to diversify. While some species would become more terrestrial such as the Quillmow and Adorned Tamow, one lineage split off and became better adapted for an aquatic lifestyle. This would give rise to the Tamwodjir, a species of shrew adapted to swim pretty well.

Much like the Marine Tamow, the Tamwodjir’s tail is the main part of propulsion, beating in an up-and-down motion. The hind legs have, however, undergone some changes for an aquatic lifestyle as well, with the toes being elongated and the webbing between them much more extensive. They swim by beating their hindlimbs in conjunction with the tail, which gives them extra bursts of speed. The forelimbs, on the other hand, have gone the opposite direction and are better suited for terrestrial locomotion. This is because the Tamwodjir still spends a decent amount of time on land foraging for food. Their powerful teeth still aid in processing tough, woody vegetation though they eat soft plants as well and will supplement their diet with carrion to get extra protein

To lighten the load while swimming, the armor on the Tamwodjir has reduced in size, except for the second spike on their back which has become narrower and taller to act like a rudimentary dorsal fin. This means the Tamwodjir is at a higher risk when in the sea moving from one Island to another. To avoid falling prey to pelagic predators, the Tamwodjir takes advantage of other species when making these crossings. They often travel alongside migrating Adorned Tamow, whose large size and many osteoderms deter their predators. Additionally, they often climb onto the “rafts” made by Marine Tamow to rest during these trips and often steal food from their food stores while they are there. They do not, however, visit Seashrog rafts, as their spears could cause serious if not fatal injuries. Like their ancestors, they are warm blooded and give birth to live young. These babies live in the warm pouch, which is adapted to close to the point where it forms a seal, allowing the Tamwodjir mother to swim underwater without her pups drowning. This however results in the pouch getting very little air when sealed, so the pups have adapted to survive in low-oxygen conditions by going into a semi-dormant state. The young will stay in the safety of the pouch until their scales become too large for the mother to comfortably carry. However they will still nurse milk from the mother for up to a year after birth even if they cannot fit in the pouch. Males will still protect the mother and pups from potential threats, despite the fact the species no longer lives on mats of vegetation.