Slicewing
From Sagan 4 Alpha Wiki
| Slicewing | ||
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| (Aceralatus lumbricus) | ||
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| Information | ||
| Creator | Nergali Other | |
| Week/Generation | 26/165 | |
| Habitat | Fermi Polar Beach, Fermi Temperate Beach, Fermi Desert, Fermi Tundra (warmer months) | |
| Size | 10 cm long | |
| Primary Mobility | Unknown | |
| Support | Exoskeleton (Chitin) | |
| Diet | Carnivore (Vermees, Xenobees, Minikruggs, Cloudswarmers, Silkruggs, Xenowasps, Teacup Saucebacks, Neuks, Sapworms, Nectarworm, Leafcutter Krugg, Spiked Krugg, Egg Krugg, Iron Siever, Shieldworm, Lickworm, Flugwurm, Pewpa, Communal Janit, Infilt Pewpa), Frugivore (Qupe Tree, Fuzzweed, Fruiting Glog) | |
| Respiration | Semi-Active (Unidirectional Tracheae) | |
| Thermoregulation | Heterotherm (Basking, Heat from Muscle Activity), Torpor | |
| Reproduction | Sexual, Hermaphrodite, Ovoviviparity | |
| Taxonomy | ||
| Domain Kingdom Subkingdom Phylum Class Subclass Order Suborder Superfamily Family Genus Species | Eukaryota Binucleozoa Symbiovermes (info) Thoracocephalia Optidorsalia Polyptera (info) Odontosynoptera Euodontosynoptera Allopuerivermoidea Aceralatidae Aceralatus Aceralatus lumbricus | |
| Ancestor: | Descendants: |
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As the island of Fermi grew steadily cooler over the past several million years as the climate continued to change, the world grew perilous for some of its smallest inhabitants. While various vermees have managed to survive by remaining small and burrowing underground, some of their larger relatives still needed to surface from time-to-time in order to warm themselves. The violet cadovermi was one such species, and it suffered for it. While the rays of the sun would warm its body, the bone-chilling wind would sap away even more quickly, as its ectothermic nature had little means of retaining body heat. As such, many of these violet cadovermi would die after repeated exposure if they didn't retreat back into the tunnels of the uksors in time.
Evolutionary change would come about due to chance encounters between violet cadovermi and their kin, the flugwurm, during the beginning of the warmer periods of the year. While mating attempts between the two species were relatively rare, and successful fertilizations even more so, all that was required was a few a year. This is because such events typically produced dozens of offspring that hatch from their eggs while still inside their mother. Given their hermaphroditic nature, these offspring would themselves be able to quite quickly reproduce on their own and carve out their own niche. Their rapid success has even caused the populations of flugwurms to drop due to these hybrids - known as slicewings - having no need for the complicated lifestyles of them and instead producing live, miniature versions of themselves that are capable of taking flight within a few short hours.
Morphologically, the presence of wings and legs make the sliceworms more visibly similar to the flugwurms. The enlarged chitinous "pseudo-teeth", however, are definitely derived from their violet cadovermi ancestry. While in said ancestor only the largest pair were slightly mobile in order to aid in digging, in the slicewing all now bear increased muscular attachments to allow a limited capacity to move. The largest pair have furthered this to where they can bring them together almost like a pair of scissors, allowing them to secure prey for the smaller "pseudo-teeth" to chew up. These specialized "pseudo-teeth" can also be utilized for grasping and carrying small objects.
As winter approaches, the slicewings prepare to slumber away the colder months, and construct subterranean nests to do so. They combine the silk production of the flugwurms with the vile-tasting proto-silk goo of the violet cadovermi in order to construct winding tunnels that keep the slicewings safe and secure. While they will dig out these tunnels headfirst, once they have finished the construction they will reenter them backwards so as to present their impressive maws against any would-be intruders. Once the cold of winter ends and warmth briefly returns to the land, the slicewings will emerge from their tunnels and take flight once more, taking advantage of the abundant prey that is similarly awaking at this time.