Ikasaru
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As the world around them changed, the populations of ice teuthopin found on Drake had to change as well. This led to certain groups descending down from the frozen peaks and into the surrounding areas. Living on the ground proved dangerous, with the wide range of predators that exist in the area. The trees, meanwhile, were relatively free of dangers and had plenty of opportunities for these teuthopins which would tempt these groups to specialize for an arboreal existence. This would then lead to them splitting off into the ikasaru, an arboreal omnivore with herbivorous tendencies.
Much like their ancestors, the ikasaru is capable of changing colors to blend in with their environment, which allows them to avoid being detected by predators and prey. Since they no longer live on a glacier or mountain peaks, however, the color changing abilities are much more dynamic. Since the range of the ikasaru has various kinds of purple flora and crystal flora, they often have to change colors to match the specific kinds of flora they are clambering upon. When it comes to moving upon the flora themselves, their two hind pairs of limbs are wide and flattened so they can act as muscular clamps. This helps maintain their grip on the branches so they do not fall off, though they do not allow for quick movement.
The first pair of limbs, meanwhile, are used for a wider variety of tasks. For example, the Ikasaru uses these to pull itself forward and to reach food items which would otherwise be too far away. The claws on the ends of these limbs can dig into bark or wrap around objects, and are strong enough that they can hang from a branch using these appendages, though this gets tiring and they will almost always go for using their "clamps" instead.
The ikasaru spends most of the time up in the trees, often clambering among the branches for bits of food. Sometimes it can use its coloration to avoid small prey such as a krugg detecting it. As prey moves towards it, the eyestalks of the ikasaru can swivel in place to track the movements of their prey while they can pick up vibrations from the branches on the movements of the target although this only works at close range. Once a small critter gets close enough, the ikasaru will snatch the prey with their forelimbs and then bring them into their mouth. The short and robust beak can crush the victim, but it also is used to break open the shells of crystal flora leaves or rip into berries and fruit. This serves the ikasaru well, as it is primarily herbivorous with a taste for fruit since such food items do not flee or fight back. In certain areas, the ikasaru lives alongside the forest venomerald, but has evolved an immunity to the tetrodotoxin produced by the flora which allows them to take advantage of a food source few other species take advantage of.
While they are solitary like their ancestors, the ikasaru is not territorial. Indeed, during times where a large amount of food is in one place, multiple ikasaru will come to take advantage of it and ignore other individuals unless they are fighting over choice pieces of food. If they do have some kind of dispute, the two ikasaru will use their vocal sacs to create vibrations. This will go on until one gives up and retreats.
The one time where the ikasaru is social is when it comes to mating, which occurs in autumn as the majority of flora produce large amounts of fruits and berries at around this time. This naturally causes ikasaru to come together in large congregations, which only makes it easier for an individual to find a mate. Their reproduction has made a few changes from their ancestor, being somewhat akin to that of the related mudslider teuthopin, where the "carrier" being a third individual has been completely lost. Instead, two individuals will use their vocal sacs to create vibrations much like if they were fighting over food. Unlike those instances, however, the two ikasaru will escalate this scuffle by changing in a series of vibrant colors and smacking each other with their first pair of limbs. Once one of them gives up in the fight, copulation occurs with the loser getting impregnated who then moves on to take care of their young while the winner will continue to battle with other individuals until it gets impregnated, runs out of potential mates to breed with, or gets caught by some predator.
The ones who get impregnated will retain the eggs within their pouch for long periods of time while the eggs incubate for about 4 months. The longer incubation means the resulting young are better developed and thus can survive outside the pouch once they hatch. Once they do emerge from the pouch, the young are capable of living on their own and are abandoned by their parent.
Due to consuming a wide range of fruits and berries alongside indirectly ingesting spores, the ikasaru is a major disperser of several different flora groups and have spread various species to new habitats. This in turn affected local herbivore species as they followed the vegetation.
Species Spread
- Vesuvianite Tree is spread into Mae Volcanic via indirectly ingesting spores.
- Frigid Vesuvianite is spread into Mae Volcanic via indirectly ingesting spores.
- Forest Venomerald is spread into Mae Volcanic via indirectly ingesting spores.
- Lurtress is spread into Drake Boreal via indirectly ingesting their seeds.
- Lurcup is spread into Drake Rocky and Mae Volcanic via indirectly ingesting their seeds.
- Arid Ferine is spread into Mae Volcanic.
- Syrup Ferine is spread into Drake Boreal, Drake Rocky, Drake Chaparral, and Mae Volcanic.
- Brickbark Ferine is spread into Drake Rocky and Mae Volcanic.
- Wafflebark Ferine is spread into Drake Rocky, Drake Boreal, Drake Temperate Woodland, and Mae Volcanic.
- Greatcap Baseejie is spread into Drake Boreal, Drake Rocky, Drake Chaparral, and Mae Volcanic.
- Glountain is spread into Drake Rocky.
- Crystalfir is spread into Drake Rocky.
- Emeraldfir is spread into Drake Rocky and Mae Volcanic.
- Double-Lipped Sauceback is spread into Mae Volcanic due to the Vesuvianite Tree, which it eats, being also spread into the biome.
- Quilled Pinyuk is spread into Mae Volcanic due to several of the flora species that are in its diet being spread there.
- Glowspike is spread into Mae Volcanic due to the Forest Venomerald being spread there while other kinds of flora in their diet are already resident to the area. It also begins to feed upon the Crystalfir and Emeraldfir.
- Wutuu is spread into Mae Volcanic due to the Arid Ferine, which it eats, being also spread into the biome. It also begins feeding upon the berries of the Syrup Ferine, Brickbark Ferine, Sleeve Ferine, and Wafflebark Ferine.