Shieldworm

Splitting from its ancestor, the shieldworm has shrunken in size further and has spread throughout Barlowe. Most of its body is protected by its shell, and it has developed a hard shovel-like projection on its head that is used for digging. They breed year long, produce numerous eggs after a short gestation, and have thus become an extremely common sight. The eggs hatch within days, after which the young reach maturity within a few weeks. This rapid life style has resulted in shorter lives of just months. A population exists in the cavohoe tunnels, tunneling through the softened dirt as it searches for food and mates.