Fuzzy Rainbowtail: Difference between revisions

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|meaning=hairy raiding turtle

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As the continent of Drake got cooler and cooler, open country became more widespread. This general change better suited some taxa more than others, with a notable group with great success being the herbivorous lizardworms. With a high abundance of prey, more open territory, and a need to deal with the cold, the [[Racing Rainbowtail|racing rainbowtail]] would respond to the changes by evolving into the '''fuzzy rainbowtail''' which in turn replaced their ancestor.

As the continent of Drake got cooler and cooler, open country became more widespread. This general change better suited some taxa more than others, with a notable group with great success being the herbivorous [[lizardworms]]. With a high abundance of prey, more open territory, and a need to deal with the cold, the [[Racing Rainbowtail|racing rainbowtail]] would respond to the changes by evolving into the '''fuzzy rainbowtail''' which in turn replaced their ancestor.

The greatest difference between the fuzzy rainbowtail and their direct ancestor is in their integument, as most of the scales covering the body have become frayed, fibery edges called threadbare scales. These filaments help trap air against the body, helping to keep the snappers warm and thus allowing them to remain active year-round, coinciding with the species becoming fully endothermic. The species has also grown slightly larger than their ancestor, allowing the fuzzy rainbowtail to both better retain heat and to also tackle a wider range of game. Indeed, the bulk of a fuzzy rainbowtail’s diet consists of lizardworms, saucebacks, and dwellers who are all pretty prominent groups in these habitats.

The greatest difference between the fuzzy rainbowtail and their direct ancestor is in their integument, as most of the scales covering the body have become frayed, fibery edges called threadbare scales. These filaments help trap air against the body, helping to keep the snappers warm and thus allowing them to remain active year-round, coinciding with the species becoming fully endothermic. The species has also grown slightly larger than their ancestor, allowing the fuzzy rainbowtail to both better retain heat and to also tackle a wider range of game. Indeed, the bulk of a fuzzy rainbowtail’s diet consists of lizardworms, [[saucebacks]], and [[dwellers]] who are all pretty prominent groups in these habitats.

Fuzzy rainbowtails are still social creatures and work together to hunt prey, having diversified their tactics to hunt a wider range of game. For fast running prey, they rely on the old tactic of either running prey into exhaustion or some individuals chasing targets into other members of the pack lying in wait. The long legs continue to help with this by providing a larger stride, and the armor on their back has reduced even further to weigh them down less during a chase. When it comes to tackling larger prey or game that prefers to stand their ground and fight, however, the pack does something different. For this kind of prey, fuzzy rainbowtails will try to separate a target from whatever social group it might be in if it's in one, before then surrounding it at all sides. From there, individuals will try to get the attention of the target, doing fake lunges to lure it into trying to strike back, giving other members of the pack the opportunity to nip or scratch at the legs and hindquarters before retreating. These kinds of fights can be quite long and brutal, with the victim eventually collapsing from exhaustion and blood loss while the pack begins to feast. A minor variation of this tactic is the pack trying to take a youngster being protected by an aggressive parent, trying to lure the parent into lunging at one individual so others can try to get the baby.

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 |meaning=hairy raiding turtle
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-As the continent of Drake got cooler and cooler, open country became more widespread. This general change better suited some taxa more than others, with a notable group with great success being the herbivorous lizardworms. With a high abundance of prey, more open territory, and a need to deal with the cold, the [[Racing Rainbowtail|racing rainbowtail]] would respond to the changes by evolving into the '''fuzzy rainbowtail''' which in turn replaced their ancestor.
+As the continent of Drake got cooler and cooler, open country became more widespread. This general change better suited some taxa more than others, with a notable group with great success being the herbivorous [[lizardworms]]. With a high abundance of prey, more open territory, and a need to deal with the cold, the [[Racing Rainbowtail|racing rainbowtail]] would respond to the changes by evolving into the '''fuzzy rainbowtail''' which in turn replaced their ancestor.
-The greatest difference between the fuzzy rainbowtail and their direct ancestor is in their integument, as most of the scales covering the body have become frayed, fibery edges called threadbare scales. These filaments help trap air against the body, helping to keep the snappers warm and thus allowing them to remain active year-round, coinciding with the species becoming fully endothermic. The species has also grown slightly larger than their ancestor, allowing the fuzzy rainbowtail to both better retain heat and to also tackle a wider range of game. Indeed, the bulk of a fuzzy rainbowtail’s diet consists of lizardworms, saucebacks, and dwellers who are all pretty prominent groups in these habitats.
+The greatest difference between the fuzzy rainbowtail and their direct ancestor is in their integument, as most of the scales covering the body have become frayed, fibery edges called threadbare scales. These filaments help trap air against the body, helping to keep the snappers warm and thus allowing them to remain active year-round, coinciding with the species becoming fully endothermic. The species has also grown slightly larger than their ancestor, allowing the fuzzy rainbowtail to both better retain heat and to also tackle a wider range of game. Indeed, the bulk of a fuzzy rainbowtail’s diet consists of lizardworms, [[saucebacks]], and [[dwellers]] who are all pretty prominent groups in these habitats.
 Fuzzy rainbowtails are still social creatures and work together to hunt prey, having diversified their tactics to hunt a wider range of game. For fast running prey, they rely on the old tactic of either running prey into exhaustion or some individuals chasing targets into other members of the pack lying in wait. The long legs continue to help with this by providing a larger stride, and the armor on their back has reduced even further to weigh them down less during a chase. When it comes to tackling larger prey or game that prefers to stand their ground and fight, however, the pack does something different. For this kind of prey, fuzzy rainbowtails will try to separate a target from whatever social group it might be in if it's in one, before then surrounding it at all sides. From there, individuals will try to get the attention of the target, doing fake lunges to lure it into trying to strike back, giving other members of the pack the opportunity to nip or scratch at the legs and hindquarters before retreating. These kinds of fights can be quite long and brutal, with the victim eventually collapsing from exhaustion and blood loss while the pack begins to feast. A minor variation of this tactic is the pack trying to take a youngster being protected by an aggressive parent, trying to lure the parent into lunging at one individual so others can try to get the baby.

Fuzzy Rainbowtail: Difference between revisions

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