Spinemander

Spinemander
(Spiniderpus flumine)
Information
Creator	Nergali Other
Week/Generation	26/160
Habitat	Always Tropical River , Bardic Tropical River, BioCat Tropical River, Blood Tropical River, Gec Tropical River, Glicker Tropical River, Ichthy Tropical River, Jeluki Tropical River, Kenotai Tropical River, Pipcard Tropical River, Terra Tropical River, Wright Tropical River, Bone Temperate River, Huggs Temperate River, Irinya Temperate River, Always Tropical Riparian, Bardic Tropical Riparian, BioCat Tropical Riparian, Blood Tropical Riparian, Gec Tropical Riparian, Glicker Tropical Riparian, Ichthy Tropical Riparian, Jeluki Tropical Riparian, Kenotai Tropical Riparian, Pipcard Tropical Riparian, Terra Tropical Riparian, Wright Tropical Riparian, Bone Temperate Riparian, Huggs Temperate Riparian, Irinya Temperate Riparian, Always Salt Swamp, Bardic Salt Swamp, BioCat Salt Swamp, Blood Salt Swamp, Gec Salt Swamp, Glicker Salt Swamp, Ichthy Salt Swamp, Jeluki Salt Swamp, Kenotai Salt Swamp, Pipcard Salt Swamp, Terra Salt Swamp, Wright Salt Swamp, Bone Salt Marsh, Huggs Salt Marsh, Irinya Salt Marsh, Dixon-Darwin Boreal
Size	63.7 cm Long
Primary Mobility	Unknown
Support	Endoskeleton (Bone)
Diet	Omnivore (Marbleflora, Snotflora, Pioneeroots, Toadtuga, Spineless Toadtuga, Thorny Toadtuga, Scuttlers)
Respiration	Active (Lungs)
Thermoregulation	Mesotherm
Reproduction	Sexual, Two Sexes, Viviparous
Taxonomy
Domain Kingdom Phylum Superclass Clade Class Order Superfamily Family Genus Species	Eukaryota Carpozoa Spondylozoa Anisoscelida Tetrapodes Saganophidia Turrinares Stegochordoidea Stegochordidae Spiniderpus Spiniderpus flumine

Ancestor:	Descendants:
Serpmander	Valley Constrictor

The spinemander has split from its ancestor and spread throughout the river systems of the Dixon-Darwin supercontinent. Significantly more aquatic in lifestyle than its ancestor, they spend long periods of time undulating along the muddy river bottoms, searching for food with their specialized sensory tentacles which are filled with taste receptor cells. With a broader diet than the serpmander, they readily hunt the smaller species of toadtuga and scuttlers they share the rivers and swamp with. Behaviorally, there is some similarity between themselves and their cousin, the serpungo.

A row of spines and thickened scutes adorn and protect their backs, keeping them safe from predators, which can also include larger members of their own species. Another adaptation is an increase in the musculature along the sides of their bodies. These cells form a very primitive system of electrocytes, allowing spinemanders to produce a weak electric field around them, which helps them to detect potential prey hidden within the murk of their. Combined with their sensory tentacles, finding food and even mates proves to be only a minor problem, even with their worsening vision.

Mating occurs on land, whereupon males and females will form a mating ball composed of multiple individuals, typically with a ratio of 10-to-1 in regards to sex. Upon completion, females will gestate over a dozen or so young for roughly six months before giving birth to live young. These offspring will immediately set out into the world with no further aid from their parents, and after absorbing their internal yolk sacs in a day or so, will begin to actively hunt for prey. Should they survive, they will reach maturity within a year and will repeat the process the following one.