Minikruggs

The minikruggs genus group split from its ancestor, the krugg, and diversified into nearly a thousand species thanks in part to their generally gregarious, highly opportunistic nature. Through various methods of dispersal, ranging from eggs unintentionally spread by Phlyers to rafting via driftwood, minikruggs have managed to spread to every continent and all but the many most remote of islands. While the vast majority of species are generally opportunistic in regards to their diets, some more unique clades and lineages have gone on to specialized their diets solely upon eggs, scavenging and even detritivorous lifestyles. Primarily terrestrial in nature, they can be found nearly everywhere, from being hidden within the undergrowth to living high in the canopy, while some species even eking out an existence underground, either via directly burrowing themselves or by inhabiting the tunnels of other, larger organisms. Some species are even partially aquatic, typical inhabiting freshwater rivers and lakes, though a select few inhabit the ocean, either on various colonialball species or on the surface film of the water itself. Most are around 5 to 10 cm long. Beyond that size most niches are taken up by the larger, more robust species of kruggs and other similarly sized organisms.

All species are readily identifiable by their chitinous exoskeleton, a structure that serves to both protect them from external harm, but also to provide attachment points for their internal musculature. Some species possess additional spikes for protection, though the vast majority instead bear a smooth carapace for ease of movement through dense floral growth or soil. Depending upon their diets, some species are poisonous too, incorporating the various toxins produced by the very flora they routinely ingest. While most get about by walking, some species are more specialized morphologically and are capable of jumping and even climbing. All possess 6 limbs, 4 eyes and 2 mandibles. Their bodies are made up of 2 main segments, the head and body. At the end of the latter is where their cloaca is located, with which they use to both reproduce as well as excrete waste. All known species lay tiny, snail-like eggs which are typically laid under several inches of soil so as to both prevent desiccation as well to keep predators from finding them, though beyond this little to no parental care is ever displayed to them. Should conditions prove poor for optimal growth, the eggs can remain dormant for several months at a time. They will only hatch once the warmer weather comes.

Notes: Picture and main concept by Hydromancerx.