Squatshroot
| Squatshroot | ||
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| (Condensitherium caeruleiclunis) | ||
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| Information | ||
| Creator | TheBigDeepCheatsy Other | |
| Week/Generation | 27/167 | |
| Habitat | Ichthy Tropical Mudflat, Ichthy Tropical Riparian, Ichthy Tropical River, Wallace Tropical Rainforest, Terra Tropical Mudflat, North Terra Tropical River, North Terra Tropical Riparian | |
| Size | 65 cm Long | |
| Primary Mobility | Unknown | |
| Support | Endoskeleton (Bone) | |
| Diet | Omnivore (Minikruggs, Silkruggs, Vermees, Floraverms, Neuks, Mikuks, Feluks, Marbleflora, Snotflora, Glaalgaes, Larands, Supershrooms, Sunstalks, Scuttlers, Yannisflora, Tamed Berry Arbourshrooms, Gamergate Gundis, Leepi Meepi, Mudfish larvae, fallen Ferry berries, Carnosprawl fruit, Crunchy Trufflegrass crumples, Krillpedes, Larvaback, Umbral Sphinx young, Shardscale young, Spinemander young, Honey Toadtuga young, Ruddy Hawklette larvae, Spineless Toadtuga, Thorny Toadtuga, River Scrambler, Hissing Krugg, Weird-Boned Twintail, Ichthy Gilltail, Common Fraboo, Twinkiiro Gilltail, Shockshell Gilltail, Ichthy River Netwhorl, Frabukis, Scuttlers, Shoveltail eggs, Shrootsitter Shoveltail eggs) | |
| Respiration | Active (Lungs) | |
| Thermoregulation | Endotherm (Fur) | |
| Reproduction | Sexual (Male and Female, Live Birth, Pouch and Milk) | |
| Taxonomy | ||
| Domain Kingdom Phylum Superclass Clade Class Subclass Superorder Order Family Genus Species | Eukaryota Carpozoa Spondylozoa Anisoscelida Pentapodes Soricia (info) Chaetotheria Lumbaritheria Currenatheria Currenatheridae Condensitherium Condensitherium caeruleiclunis | |
| Ancestor: | Descendants: |
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The squatshroot evolved to replace the remaining velishroots that survived in the Ichthy wetland region for several millions of years. Unlike its relative, the fragorishroot, the squatshroot has hardly spread out of its area, only having expanded its territory to include the nearby Wallace Tropical Rainforest and the northern Terra wetland region. As such, the squatshroot is specialized to live a mix of subterranean and amphibious lifestyles.
The squatshroot evolved stronger front legs for tunneling and a more compact body to help it push through dirt more efficiently; in addition to these features, the squatshroot evolved bigger lungs that hold more air, along with ears and nostrils that are able to seal themselves shut, keeping dirt out. Coincidentally, these adaptations for subterranean living also help the squatshroot with the amphibious part of its lifestyle; specifically, the enhancement in breath-holding and the stronger front legs also help with swimming. But to further enhance the swimming, the squatshroot has webbing on its toes that help with paddling through water. It has also lost its relationship with shoveltails and prefers to feed on their eggs when they get the chance to seize them.
The squatshroot's fur now comes in shades of gold, white, or even gold with white flecks. These specific colors help the squatshroot blend in better with the surrounding soil. Plus, its fur is waterproof, making it less likely to get cold after getting out of the water. However, males do have blue-colored fur on their haunches for display. Much like its relative, the fragorishroot, the squatshroot's blue originates from the pigment, phycocyanobilin, and it is used to indicate the male's health due to the fact that phycocyanobilin production is directly correlated to nutritional intake. In simpler terms, the bluer the male's rear, the healthier it is, and the more chances of it mating it gets.
Furthermore, much like the fragorishroot, its brain has a high neuron density; this means that despite being smooth-brained, the squatshroot is considerably more intelligent than an organism of its size and similar brain shape should be. This is especially demonstrated through the usage of twigs and sticks as tools to help them find food hiding in the sediment and murky water, since while they are reasonably adapted for swimming, they can still struggle with finding prey in murky water. In order to acquire said sticks, the squatshroot has to crawl out to the surface for a period of time and find sticks of the right length, weight, and sturdiness. Once it has found the stick, it holds it in its mouth and it moves it around to feel for any prey in the murky water or to disturb any prey hiding in the muck without risking its own face. This stick search is also when the squatshroot is especially vulnerable to predators like larger ornitheres, the passarurso, the bobbysoxer, and even rival males that will kill other young in order to replace them with their own young. In order to handle said predators, the squatshroot is more aggressive and will try to scare away its foe by raising itself up, bark loudly, and do a bluff charge to warn them to stay away. If the predator does not relent, the squatshroot will charge and bite down hard on any vulnerable areas it can reach to make sure said predator takes a hint to flee. If it cannot attack its assailant or if there is enough of an opportunity to escape, the squatshroot will speedily flee far away enough before it swiftly digs itself deep enough for predators to be unable to reach it. Mother squatshroots are extremely protective of their young and are much quicker to fight off predators than lone squatshroots.
Unlike the fragorishroot, however, the squatshroot is a largely solitary animal that only meets others of its kind to either mate or to raise young. When it comes to the time to mate, which is generally during the beginning of the wet season, squatshroot males and females will surface above ground and expand their typical territories to seek out mates. Squatshroots are monogamous fauna that can produce 2-3 fetal-looking young that stay inside the female's pouch until they are grown up enough to no longer depend on their mother's milk for sustenance, which is approximately 3 weeks. During this month, the male will help raise their young by seeking out food to bring back for its mate and eventually for the young as well, while the female stays inside its burrow. This goes on for about 1.5 months until the young have to learn how to catch food for themselves, which is also when the female drives the male out. The mother then helps the young learn how to find food underground and underwater and how to find the right twigs and sticks. The young continue to stay with the mother until they are around 43 centimeters in length; which by then, the mother kicks out the young and the life cycle continues. Squatshroots can live up to 10 years. While the squatshroot does not produce as many young per litter as the fragorishroot, the fact that it raises them for longer means that more young will survive.