Blowtongue: Difference between revisions

Replacing their ancestors wherever their respective territories overlapped, the '''Blowtongue''' has begun to spread further inland upon the continent of Drake. Having evolved to specialize in hunting and capturing small prey, their tongues have further specialized to aid them in this task. They are capable of both expanding and contracting the end of the cuticle-covered tongue into a caved-in inversion that ends over a hollowed up hydrostatic muscle at the edge of the muscular appendage. Once a prey item is secured within this tongue-trap, it is then smashed and bashed about until it is reduced to little more than a fine, meaty pulp prime for consumption.

The evolution of it's tongue trap has affected reproductive behavior, rather than transferring gametes mouth to mouth as their ancestors did, males will catch a tasty treat in their tongue-traps, roll in their tongues to cover it with gametes and offer it to the female as a nuptial gift. Within a banquet of blowtongues, sometimes comprising dozens of individuals, females might have many male pursuers offering such nuptial gifts and trying to increase the chance that her brood will be theirs, while successful males will pursue many females to increase their chances. Males will mostly compete by trying to get better nuptial gifts, but when that doesn't work they will also try to compete directly. Rather than head bashing, conflicts between competing males will be resolved by bashing each other tongue to tongue, trying to inflict a strong enough hit to get the competition to release the nuptial gift from their rivals grip.