Desert Phantomshell
| Desert Phantomshell | ||
|---|---|---|
| (Xeroosteoherpeton lunaris) | ||
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| 25/?, unknown cause | ||
| Information | ||
| Creator | Nergali Other | |
| Week/Generation | 24/152 | |
| Habitat | Barlowe High Desert, Barlowe Desert | |
| Size | 32 cm long | |
| Primary Mobility | Quadruped, Semi-Erect Legs | |
| Support | Endoskeleton (Chitin) | |
| Diet | Herbivore (Mainland Chime Slingberry, Statue Piloroot), Pollinivore (Regrestoloppy) | |
| Respiration | Active (Microlungs) | |
| Thermoregulation | Ectotherm (basking) | |
| Reproduction | Sexual, Two Sexes, Lay Broods of up to 20 eggs | |
| Taxonomy | ||
| Domain Kingdom Subkingdom Phylum Clade Superclass Class Order Family Genus Species | Eukaryota Binucleozoa Symbiovermes (info) Thoracocephalia Coluripoda Ossicancer Saurovermes (info) Xenoscelisauria Faeriherpetidae Xeroosteoherpeton Xeroosteoherpeton lunaris | |
| Ancestor: | Descendants: |
|---|---|
When some zergranid left the safety of Ninja Sandstone Caverns, they were forced to adapt to the harsher conditions of the surroundings deserts. To cope, the desert phantomshell is active only at dawn and dusk in order to avoid the scorching daytime heat and the freezing nighttime air. As their ancestors were already without sight, its eyes no longer served a function and thus degenerated even further, now being covered by a layer exoskeleton. They now instead rely on vibrations in order to sense their surroundings, aided by tiny microfilaments on their specialized pairs of sensory limbs. Any vibrations they pick up in the air will tell them if anything is near them, and serves as a primitive form of radar-like detection.
More agile and quick than its ancestor, the desert phantomshell is incredibly skittish and will flee instead of fight. Solitary, they tend to spend their time buried beneath the sand or hidden under rock formations when not searching for food or mates. Said mating occurs so as the young are laid and then allowed time to hatch just before the rains come. This will give the young enough time to start building up their fat and water reserves as they set off on their own with no further parental aid.
