Quadracroc

Splitting from its ancestor, the quadracroc inhabits the deserts of Fermi Island. Its evolution was spurred by a major environmental pressure that affected the snapjaw sandcrock, the extreme heat of the black sand under the hot desert sun. The sandcrock lacked any adaptations against this, and many young ones would die from the heat while they lay in wait for prey. Thus some of their descendants eventually left the sand altogether to escape this deadly heat, and encountered new problems in locomotion. Due to the orientation of their legs, fast movement was all but impossible, thus those that were able to solve it were able to thrive. Now they move in a bounding manner, rarely ever keeping two feet on the hot sand at any time, save for when at rest, which typically occurs in the shade of great flora. Carnivorous predators, they favor smaller prey when out hunting at dusk and twilight. Other predators like the shantak are their only competition once fully grown, though the quadracrocs tend to avoid confrontations due to their own smaller, lankier forms leave them at a distinct disadvantage. However, quadracrocs are highly adept at surviving in the desert, having large stores of fat around their tail, as well as their ability to retain water quite well. Few other species can compete with them in regards to surviving over longer periods of time with little resources, thus allowing them to thrive in the interior of Fermi. Because of this success, they have replaced their ancestors throughout the interior of Fermi Island, primarily due to their better adaptations to desert life, though the sand sandcrock still exists on its beaches, where the heat is far more tolerable due to the cooling nature of the ocean breeze.