Wolverback

As herbivores began to show up within the inland areas of Fermi, it would only be a matter of time before predators would appear to prey upon them. Instead of a predator settling into the area from a different part of Fermi, it would be a species of Teacup Sauceback ballooning in size to take advantage of the new game. The final result would be the Wolverback, the largest species within the genus Vermisorex yet to have evolved.

In overall lifestyle, they could be described as an oversized version of other members of their genus, as they have barely changed in anatomy. Indeed the beginning of their lives is pretty much identical to that of other members of the genus. The young are still small burrowing ectotherms that start their lives at just a millimeter in length. They will feed primarily upon things like the vermees and the larvae of other Teacup Saucebacks, supplementing their diet with detritus when meat is unavailable. The larvae will readily feed upon carrion as well, eventually growing to about 10 centimeters long. At this particular point, they look like fat hairy sausages due to the precense of gigantic fat stores; which will provide the Wolverback larvae energy during their metamorphosis into an endothermic adult so they do not starve to death. While other members of the genus are fully grown at this point, Wolverbacks continue to grow even after having reached their adult form, tackling larger and larger game as they continue to grow.

Due to their massive size compared to other members of the genus, the metabolism of the Wolverback is much slower and thus they require much less food and live longer. While they can still technically hibernate, Wolverbacks rarely ever do so since their thick feathery coat and greater bulk provides them with enough insulation to remain active at night. Indeed, Wolverbacks have shifted towards being nocturnal in habits, as this gives them a leg-up over prey that rely upon vision to spot threats. Using strong echolocation to “see” their way around, the Wolverback will stealthily approach its target before eventually getting close enough to pounce. Their mandibles have extra large barbs to better deal with dispatching relatively large prey, with the Wolverback often aiming for the head or neck of its victim to kill it quickly. While much of their prey consists of other Teacup Saucebacks, Minikruggs, and other fairly small game; Wolverbacks will readily tackle larger game in their range such as the Fermi Giant Leafkutter and young Rosy Cornizopes that strayed too far from the safety of the herd.

Wolverbacks live much longer than other members of their genus, living for over ten to fifteen years instead of just five. Alongside the fact they are the apex predators of their ecosystem when they evolved, Wolverbacks lay way fewer eggs compared to their ancestors and relatives. Instead of laying a few thousand eggs in one sitting, a Wolverback will lay only about three hundred to four hundred eggs in a single clutch. Additionally, the species lays their eggs in mid winter, so that the resulting larvae will hatch during the start of spring so they can take advantage of warming temperatures and the increasing number of food to rapidly grow.