Fermi Giant Leafkutter

As many species of flora colonized the inland areas of Fermi, it was only a matter of time before herbivores would arrive to feed upon them. Among the first to colonize these areas was a population of Leafcutter Kruggs, which quickly took advantage of a lack of competition and quickly became giants, soon splitting off and becoming a distinct taxon of their own right. Known as the Fermi Giant Leafkutter, this species plays a vital role in its ecosystem by grazing on the highly abundant Fermiblades. The enormous serrated mandibles inherited by their ancestors assist with the Fermi Giant Leafkutters in this, as they can easily snip off the leaves into small chunks that can be easily eaten. Their exoskeletons have become slightly thicker to better take any cuts and scrapes that result from brushing up against the serrated edges of their food.

While they primarily feed upon Fermiblades leaves, they will also happily gobble up the shiny seeds grown from these flora as well since they provide a nice nutrient boost. Because their mandibles are adapted to snip off leaves and not crush up seeds, Fermi Giant Leafkutters will swallow these seeds whole which means that most of the seeds remain intact when they get ingested. This in turn means that while around sixty percent of the seeds that are eaten get digested, some of them are able to survive and can still grow into a whole new Fermiblades when they are excreted. Alt This in turn means they are vital seed dispersers for the Fermiblades, as the seeds can be carried a good distance away from their parents and be provided with nice fertilizer that will boost their growth. They will also feed on the seeds of Lesser Steppespires when they fall on the ground, which in turn means they also help disperse the seeds of the species of melanophyte, though they do this much less frequently since Lesser Steppespires are less common than the Fermiblades and thus are a much less reliable food source. Much like their ancestors, Fermi Giant Leafkutters will bury any surplus food underground to save it for tougher times like the cold winters seen in the region, with the digits on their feet being closer together which better helps with digging, as well as helping support their larger bodies.

Since by the time they evolved they were the largest creatures on the landscape, Fermi Giant Leafkutter adults are much more bold than their ancestors, preferring to stand their ground and fight off threats rather than running away. Indeed, the main predators at the time they evolved are certain species of Teacup Saucebacks, who in the absence of any competition have become slightly larger than most other species within the genus and tackle bigger game. The exoskeletons of the Fermi Giant Leafkutter provides good protection against the bites of these carnivores, and their mandibles can easily deliver nasty wounds that can easily cripple their assailant if not outright kill them. As a direct result of the fact they can fend off their current predators and do not have to worry about bigger carnivores, adult Fermi Giant Leafkutters do not really burrow and will instead only dig out caches to store food and small pits to lay their snail-like eggs that are then buried soon afterwards.

Young Fermi Giant Leafkutters are much more similar to their ancestors in terms of how they react to threats, as they will dig out burrows to hide in and will flee from creatures such as Teacup Saucebacks. As a fair amount of the young will be eaten by predators like Silkruggs, Neuks, and Teacup Saucebacks, Fermi Giant Leafkutters lay about a hundred eggs at a time which ensures at least a couple of their young reach maturity. Once they do reach adulthood, Fermi Giant Leafkutters can live for as long as ten years.