Hexatrunk

The hexatrunk split from its ancestor, spreading over much of the Wallace supercontinent. It lives in the tropical, subtropical, and temperate plains, shrublands, and intermediate forests, feeding mostly on ferries using its twin trunks to pick leaves and occasionally fruit. It has regained function in its remaining barbels, the middle pair serving to taste and manipulate food close to its mouth and the hind pair being held out to taste the air for scent.

Much like its ancestor, the hexatrunk moves in herds of 7-10 adult members. Unlike its ancestor, though the herds usually consist of several females and a male, these are not really “led” by the male. There is, instead, usually a dominant female which will pick and choose what males are allowed near her herd to mate. This is because an aggressive or rowdy male might put the herd in danger while a weak male is likely to be picked off by predators, so it is in the herd’s best interests to be very selective.

Lacking insulating integument, the hexatrunk does not stay in temperate regions over winter, instead migrating to the subtropics and competing with the subtropical population for the duration of the season. During migration, all herds often gather together and move in groups of hundreds or even thousands of individuals. Come spring, they migrate back to the temperate regions to take advantage of new growth. It is highly nomadic in general, moving from place to place feeding on different species to ensure it can take full advantage of new growth to meet its nutritional needs and never staying in one region for long. It has subspecies with slightly different color patterns, such as being more striped in the wooded parts of its range.

As a relatively small browser, the hexatrunk is innately anxious especially while alone, as it is very vulnerable to predation. This anxiety is alleviated by physical touch from other members of the herd, such as from grooming behavior, as the touch of another’s trunk is a physical confirmation of safety from their presence. It is common to see juveniles clutch their mother’s trunks with their own, and in some cases the mother hexatrunk may pick up and hold the juvenile to comfort it.

Like other plents, the hexatrunk mates mouth to mouth and gives live birth. It gestates for about 7 months and gives birth to only one or two well-developed offspring at a time, temporarily deforming its jaws to accommodate the birth of a baby more than twice the size of its skull. Juveniles are able to stand soon after birth and can run within hours, allowing them to stay close to the herd as it moves along. Juveniles typically stay slightly apart from the main herd while young, hiding in tall puffgrasses and other ground flora, making it more difficult for predators to locate and target them based on the herd’s position. Juveniles don’t have complete control over their trunks right away and have to be brought food while they learn. They take about a year and a half to reach maturity but usually don't begin breeding until their third year.