Scaletail

As competition increased within the confines of the polar coastlines of Fermi island, a combinations of both environmental pressures, predation, and competition with other species was putting a heavy strain on various older species of limblesses. They needed to adapt to a changing world or risk extinction. The scaletails are one such success story, and perhaps represent one of the most visibly distinct species of limbless to have evolved on the island of Fermi, as well as one of the smallest, due to the effects of insular dwarfism. The most notable trait of the scaletails, beyond a reduction in the dimorphism in their front fangs - one is still slightly larger than the other, a holdover from its ancestors - is the presence of hair covering the majority of their bodies. This hair has its origins in the tiny, hair-like fibers that have adorned the bellies of all limblesses since their distant arboreal ancestors. While in many species of limbless, the sole purpose of these hairs was to aid them in climbing up vertical surfaces, within the scaletails it has found a new purpose. These hairs have spread all over their bodies, and along their sides and backs they have grown in both thickness and length. While they do manage to retain a bit more heat thanks to them, the true purpose of these hairs is a defensive one. Like the tarantulas of Earth, these hairs break quite easily and disperse readily into the surrounding air. Should they come into contact with the eyes or other delicate sensory organs of a potential predator, they will cause terrible irritation, to the point where they can even cause short-term blindness or breathing issues. Another notable trait of the scaletails is also that which they derive their names from. Enlarged keratinous scales cover the tails of this species, highly visible compared to those that have traditionally covered the bodies of their ancestors, and are composed of the same material that cover their thagomizers. Serving a role in defense, the scales provide a layer of protection for their tails, which helps to prevent smaller predators from biting into them. In addition to this, several of the teeth have grown larger and developed almost needle-like tips. These fangs are especially useful for preventing small prey, such as teacup saucebacks, from escaping their grips once bitten into. Reproduction in scaletails is unique amongst the limblesses. While most limblesses will change mates every year, scaletails tend to mate for life, which can be anywhere from two to three years. Once mated, the pair will stick together, find a secure crevice, and make their nest within. They are somewhat social in this regard, as they will willingly share their den with other mated pairs, most likely due to the added security that comes with it, but also due to their combined presence in such small spaces often being enough to make the air in the dens warmer by several degrees. Both parents will watch over the young, which are typically born in batches of a dozen or more, until they are large enough to leave the den and hunt for themselves, which often occurs within a month's time. While the diet of youngsters tends to consist of various small kruggs, they are also adept at infiltrating the nests of colonial janits, within which they will gorge themselves while the defenders have difficulty overcoming their bristly back hairs. Such a diet rich in protein helps them to reach their maximum size quite quickly, and most will reach sexual maturity within only six months, after which they will seek out a suitable mate and continue the cycle once more.