Elegant Springneck

Splitting from its ancestor, the elegant springneck has evolved a form better suited for a faster lifestyle. No longer hopping, it has taken a tripodal stance which is faster and more stable. Kept warm by a thin layer of fat, it moves in herds of 7-12 individuals as well as several young. They possess a pair of spines on their backs for protection, as well as being used as a mating display in males as bigger ones are more preferable to females. Both sexes possess barbels that are longer in females and are used as "guides" for infants who will follow them up to the mouth so that the female can give them predigested food during their first three weeks of life. They also both possess a pair of face crests that serve the purpose of display and identifying sexes and age. Males possess large hollow ones with orange markings indicating their sexual prime, while females have a smaller, yellower version while young ones lack them. The crests are used for visual communication and are larger in males. Their tusks are used for mating and for manipulating food.