Grubnub

The grubnub split from its ancestor the river tailhopper. It moved to the western beaches of Drake and Darwin. There it found an open niche of detritivore and scavenger. It will eat anything dead or decomposing. Its coloring is to blend in the the golden sand and green chunky plyents. Its back legs have gotten strong and now support its weight. They no longer hop but do a 3 legged shuffle. On its front limbs it has gained a primitive finger which it uses to help grasp and hold food. Like its ancestor it has the ability to hear though its nostrils. These "ear-nostrils" pick up not only sounds but is used like a bat's echolocation. It can make small clicks and see in the dark of night. Their eye sockets too work like ears and help them to hear the would around them. During the fall they will try to fatten up in order to hibernate in their burrows in the cold winter. They dig their burrows in the sand. There they sleep and lay their eggs. They will protect and raise the chicks until they are adults. Females stay with the herd while feeding but aside from the alpha male the males will go off and live a solitary life. Each spring males challenge the alpha male for his "harem" of females on the banks of the river. They will fight using their claws; this can sometimes be fatal since their claws are so sharp. The winner gets the females.