Durameloth

As the expansive deserts and tundras that once dominated the interior of Fermi island gave way to rolling prairies and dense forests, life of both a floral and faunal nature inevitably moved in, thrived, and diversified. Vaste grasslands in particular have flourished under the shadow of Fermi's slumbering giant, mount Prismol, where the likes of fermiblades, poorbions, and ashblades grow in great abundance. Herds of cornizopes graze upon this bounty, as swarms of leafkutters and solitary cuniculyns feed underhoof, all awhile wolverbacks stalk their prey through the tall grass. This ecosystem, occasionally ravaged by harsh storms or wildfires, has otherwise remained fairly stable over the course of several thousand years. This balance, however, would all change with the arrival of the durameloth onto the scene.

Weighing in at nearly 5 tons and growing over 6 meters in length, the durameloths are one of the largest species of thornbacks native to the island of Fermi, with only the likes of the flumpus and kin rivaling them in size. Descended from a population of duramceri that had migrated out of the depths of the tundra and discovered the rich bounty of the plains, they have grown large and bulky, allowing them to exploit the numerous floras of the grasslands with only the cornizopes offering much in the way of competition. This increase in mass offers multiple benefits beyond simply pushing out competition; a large size makes gigantothermy more effective, as well as provides more room for a larger, more robust gut better suited to dealing with a coarse diet of grasses and bark. A larger size also makes the durameloth less vulnerable to predation, as only when they are very young might a wolverback be able to take one down. Other physical changes have evolved in this species, the most prominent of which is the further reduction of their hooves to point where they only walk around on a single one on each foot. The durameloths are also notably bulkier, with the males in particular bearing large, fatty humps above their shoulders, as well as a thick hide that offers some protection from the voraciously bloodthirsty xenowasps. Of course, a thick hide alone won't deter such parasites for long, and as such it is fairly common for durameloths to coat themselves in dust or mud in order to provide themselves with a second layer of protection against irritating bites.

Forming herds of up to a hundred members of all ages, the durameloth even greater sociality compared to that of their ancestors were. Older females tend to lead these groups, with older males not carrying young providing protection from potential threats. Young durameloth, known as a poggle once they have left their father's bladlap apparatus, are well protected in the situation. Should it be threatened, its cries will be answered by bother direct family and unrelated herd members, with the threat, such as a wolverback, either being stomped into the ground or repeatedly headbutted to death. The rest of the time, these youngsters will learn important survival tricks by watching the adults, such as what parts of flora are the best to eat. An enlarged, multi-chambered nasal organ facilitates communication within a herd, as durameloths are able to produce a wide range of calls, from high-pitched whistles to deep snorts by contracting and raising the nasal flap that covers their nostrils.

Despite being relatively recent arrivals to the plains, the durameloths have nonetheless quickly established themselves as important keystone species to them. Where their herds roam, they gorge upon the local flora and inadvertently create game trails that other species might utilize. Their hooves tear through the soil, aerating it as they walk, and their dung fertilizes it, encouraging new growth after they have moved through an area.

Reproduction

Mating typically occurs during the fall, with young males leaving their herds in order to join new ones and find partners. Competition for mates can be fierce at times, though typically older males that are established within their herds get first choice, though on occasion young males may challenge them over the right to mate. During such situations, males will walk side-by-side with one another before slamming their sides against one another. While this usually ends with the larger, more fit male winning, the fight may escalate to biting, whereupon their small, not-quite tusks on their lower jaw can deliver deep, piercing wounds. While hearty beasts, such wounds nonetheless have the potential to become fatally infected, and as such males will attempt to avoid getting too violent. Once such contests are over, males and females will pair up and seek out a pond or lake, after which the several large (for a thornback) frog-like eggs are fertilized.

Much likes its ancestors, male durameloths possess a structure known as a bladlap apparatus. During the mating process the eggs are transferred from the females into the bladders of the males, whereupon they make their way into this structure, keeping them secure as they develop further. Because this process prevents the males from urinating as their offspring grow and absorb their yolk sacs, their kidney-like organs have become even more efficient at processing urea, preventing the young from being poisoned or the adults themselves from suffering through a process that would be lethal for most other thornbacks. Within a few weeks, the young will be developed enough to release, and males will then be able to urinate once more.

The young poggles, have already developed their limbs at this point, are nearly a foot in length at this point. They will grow quickly alongside other batches that were "born" at the same time, and within half a year they will be nearly a meter in length. Vulnerable to predation at this point in their lives, it will be nearly a decade before they are big enough to have no natural predators of their own, and another half a decade before they are old enough to begin reproducing themselves.

Aggression

Despite their great size and lack of natural predators once fully grown, adult durameloths can be quite aggressive when it comes to dealing with anything they perceive as a threat. A swift kick or a violent bash of the head can end the life of just about any other inhabitant of the grasslands. While this is typically directed towards wolverbacks, as they actually pose a threat to young poggles, other species are not exempt from this. Accounts of bulls suddenly charging cornizopes and launching them skywards, simply because they unknowingly got too close to their offspring, are not unheard of. Neither is aggression directed towards juvenile wolverbacks. In regions where predation against their own offspring is high, adult durameloths have been observed stomping young wolverbacks, even ones that have only emerged from the soil not long before. Despite being too small to pose any threat to young poggles, it would seem that durameloths recognize the future threat they possess, and so remove them as a preventative measure. Similarly, subadult males have been observed laying in ambush near poggles, often hiding themselves in patches of tall flora such as ashblades, waiting for wolverbacks to approach, waiting to give chase.

Such aggression is also at time directed between durameloths, especially between males rivaling for mating rights. However, the threat of open wounds, which can attract xenowasps or become fatally infected, has led to musical bouts being selected for. Those that are better singers will often win out, but should neither participant give way, then more violent means are often employed. While rarely fatal, injuries sustained from such fights can leave individuals too weakened to continue, and they will often fall behind the herd and succumb to the elements.