Leatherback Pipent

After countless generations of having evolved to thrive in an aquatic environment, it would seem odd that one lineage of pipents has instead chosen to split from its kin and return to life on land. And yet, with the current devastation that has wracked Western Drake and depleted it of many large fauna, the Leatherback Pipent has found a unique set of conditions under which it could thrive nearly unopposed, with a rich bounty of small fauna and flora upon which they can feed. Already showing signs of shedding its aquatic vestiges, such as exchanged its flippers for legs, it now support itself with the aid of its ancestral namesake, the nails. Said nails have nearly fused together, provided it with additional support to stand upright, even if it has come at the cost of limiting the mobility of its limbs in general, and with a specialized pair on each leg functioning akin to a hoof in nature. In regards to defense, they have evolved a thick leathery skin - not unlike the heavy hide of a rhinoceros of earth - that encompasses the back of their heads, backs, and breathing holes. These are especially useful in females, who during the mating season in early spring will compete amongst one another for the best potential male mates, as the ratio to the males to females is twelve. Males are distinguishable from females due to their smaller size. They mate once every two years, and the young are born several months later and cared for by the mother until they are old enough to survive on their own.

They have evolved tail spikes in order to defend themselves, using them to strike out at any potential threat as as well as when combating one another over a mate. They still retain a slightly amphibious nature, in that they are capable of swimming to a limited degree, though nowhere near as efficiently as their ancestors did. However, it has been sufficient enough to allow them to spread far and wide, allowing for four separate breeding colonies to arise on Day, Dacmat, and Jim Tundra Islands, as well as several minor ones on the mainland as well.