Athiwi

The athiwi split from its ancestor. It is larger and more omnivorous. It uses elongated mobile fangs to rummage around in the substrate searching for food, which it then grabs with its tongue and eats whole. It will also use its fangs to pick fruit. It retains the ability to use gastroliths, which now also aid it in breaking apart seeds and exoskeletons. It is nocturnal and has a whiskered face.

Despite being predatory again, the athiwi has not resumed using electric shock to kill prey, instead still using it for defense. At its larger size, it can store more electricity at once, though it also takes longer to charge. It still uses the green color of its tongue as a warning when confronted.

Like its ancestor, the athiwi lives in dens which are often hollow logs or the abandoned nests of other species. It can stash some types of food such as seeds for later. If it aims to bring certain prey like kruggs to its den, it will dismember them first, leaving them alive but unable to fight or flee. It stores food in a pouch under its tongue for transport.

The athiwi has gained a breeding season in the winter, which allows it to give birth in the spring. It gives birth to 2-3 babies the size of their head at one time, warping the lower jaw to accommodate birth. Only the mother takes part in raising the young. Babies are mostly fed soft-bodied fauna and berries until they have their fangs and can handle gastroliths, at which point they start following their mother on foraging trips. They are independent at 3-4 months, but can take about a year to reach full size.