Xatabound

Xatabound (Vitrusaur ranamorphus) Creator: Jlind11 Ancestor: Xatakpa Habitat: Dixon Savanna, Jlindy Tropical Beach Size: 40 cm Long Diet: Herbivore (Glaalgaes, Pinprong) Reproduction: Sexual, Two Genders, Hard-Shelled Eggs

The catabound split from its ancestor and moved to the Dixon Savanna and Jlindy Beach biomes. While it still eats the glaalgaes found there it has also capitalized on the abundance of pinprong, helping to stave off the total takeover of this flora. Due to this increase in resources and initial lack of predators, they have increased in size.

Their large hooves are situated directly underneath their feet in order to avoid being stabbed by the pinprong's spikes. The chin spike has rotated forward to facilitate in digging up pinprongs, their upper lip has become more prehensile to grab the flora, and they have developed cheek pouches to help hold onto the food while chewing. Since xatabound's lineage has been feeding on shards of glass-like chitin for millenia, their mouths had little trouble handling the sharpness of the spikes. However, the spikes contain virtually no nutrients, and so are spitten out while the leaves are being eaten (in a similar way to how humans spit out watermelon seeds). The xatabounds will change their back plate's color to reflect the flora they are eating; as such they now recognize purple as well as light blue to signify calmness, and other color changes to equal alarm. Like all glasseaters they communicate with bellowing calls picked up by their "eye-ears".

Their tail-leg has become more muscular and assists more in locomotion. Normal walking involves the front 2 legs moving separate on the back 3 legs (in a similar way to a kangaroo). However, when startled a xatabound will use its tail-leg independently to launch itself forward (hence the name) before running. This is especially useful for evading near-collisions from predators, other xatabounds, or even as an offensive movement.

Individuals live for 5 years, gaining sexual maturity at the first year and breeding every 2 years. Herds still consist of 50-100 members. Newly mature males will fight each other for unaccompanied females, using their tail-leg lunge to attack with their front faceing chin spike. They build mound nests out of rocks and dirt for their hard-shelled eggs. During incubation females will tend to the mound to make sure it is the right temperature by taking dirt either on or off the mound. They must do this in the summer when the ground is not frozen. Once hatched, the female will protect the nest while the male goes to find food for his mate and offspring. They lay around 3 to 4 eggs at a time.