Glyndrax

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Glyndrax
(Glyndraxus jlindii)
Artwork of Glyndrax
Species is extant.
Creator Nergali Other
Taxonomy
Domain
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Subclass
Superorder
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Eukaryota
Mancerxa
Chloropodia
Pterophylla
Rostrophylla
Phyllogryphomorpha
Lipogryphones
Lipogryphidae
Glyndraxus
Glyndraxus jlindii
Week/Generation 25/159
Habitat Vivus Tundra, Vivus High Grassland, Vivus Polar Scrub, Vivus Rocky, Vivus Volcanic
Size 2.3 m Long
Support Unknown
Diet Herbivore (Aloeberacteus, Phalangrass, Fibreflora, Crowned Kingrush, Slumbering Kingrush, Fibrillius)
Respiration Active (Lungs)
Thermoregulation Endotherm
Reproduction Sexual, Live Birth, Two Sexes
Descendant of Ancestor of

Splitting from its ancestor, the glyndrax have spread far throughout the interior of Vivus Island. Quite sizable compared to the pudglyn, this growth has been an evolutionary adaptation to the cooler to temperate temperates that pervade the island, and coincides with a notable increase in their fat stores, leading to their somewhat "hefty" appearance. Heavier beaks allow them to more efficiently tear apart the low growing flora of the region, which is beneficial feature to them, as the glyndrax must eat constantly in order to fuel their size, especially when young. Despite this, however, when fully grown they can go for weeks at a time without eating, which can occur during the colder months when most potential food has retracted close to the ground beneath mounds of snow. This of course won't stop them from seeking them out, and it is not uncommon to find many a hole in the frozen snow where herds dug downwards in search of food.

Their wings are now almost entirely vestigial. While infants still have them extended during their first few days of life, they are functionless in terms of performing photosynthesis and will quite quickly retract back into their bodies. This is an adaptation to the cooler weather, as such thin wings would be quite prone to frostbite. Their ears have undergone a similar transformation, though in this case, they still perform their function and are merely being insulated.

Herds typically number anywhere from 20 to 50 individuals, and will migrate regularly after their food sources. While typically making their homes in the grasslands, where they also give birth, they head towards the tundras and scrublands during the warmer seasons in order to feast on the plentiful flora that flourish there. Young are cared for by the entire herd, and should they come under danger, the adults will form a protective circle around them, leaving predators to face their bone-crushing beaks instead.