Rolling Flune

The rolling flune split from its ancestor. They have moved into the colder southern biomes to follow their new food source, the polar quilbil. They have a harder beak for scraping off pieces of the polar quilbil's trunk; they will sometimes eat the beach carnofern if their preferred food is hard to find. They are able to roll much better than their ancestor, thanks to a stronger muscular system. Their shell is stronger and adapted to insulate from the cold. The other main adaptation is a special hinge connected to their spines, allowing them to flatten them against their shell to roll smoother or flick them out as a defense against predators. However they do need to uncurl in order to feed or to see where they are. Individuals live for 7 years, reaching sexual maturity at 2 year. Because their eggs could easily die in the cold climate, their reproduction has changed from their ancestor. Males and females mate by locking themselves together. After they mate, the female lays her clutch of 10-20 eggs in a special indentation in the back of the male's shell. The male then carries the eggs for about 3 weeks, the babies will let their father know its hatching time by vibrating (while they can't hear, they can feel vibrations). Babies are born independent of their parents, however their shells are to small and too weak to protect themselves. Thus the young will burrow just under the soil, feeding on whatever scraps they can find. They will also eat minerals (sand, small rock, etc.), not for nutrition but to help build a stronger shell.