Beachburrow

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Beachburrow
(Atopotripus choffyami)
Artwork of Beachburrow
Species is extinct.
22/140, Habitat Loss (Snowball)
Creator Elerd Other
Taxonomy
Domain
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Subclass
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Eukaryota
Mancerxa
Chloropodia
Phyllauria
Xylodonta
Monopoditheres
Unipedidae
Atopotripus
Atopotripus choffyami
Week/Generation 20/134
Habitat Elerd Temperate Beach, Chum Tropical Beach
Size 50 cm Long
Primary Mobility Unknown
Support Endoskeleton (Jointed Wood)
Diet Herbivore (Glintdagger, Crastcumber)
Respiration Active (Lungs)
Thermoregulation Endotherm
Reproduction Sexual, Two Sexes
Descendant of Ancestor of


The beachburrow split from its ancestor, the monofoot, and moved to Elerd Temperate Beach. From there it spread to Chum Tropical Beach. Its ancestor only ate fruits and leaves, so the beachburrow had to adapt to the leafless and non-fruit-bearing flora of the beaches.

To be able to eat the crastcumber, which is very abundant in these beaches, it had to develop stronger mouth muscles and teeth. These also help it to grasp and rip the glintdagger's blades. The crastcumber is indeed so abundant that to be able to camouflage itself from predators, the beachburrow now has patterns of green and gold, mimicking the beaches' soil and flora.

It is active during the day and sleeps during the night under the sand. It has developed a retractable breathing apparatus (butt nostril) which is erected during sleep to be able to breathe through the sand. In hard years, with droughts or famine, it will use this retractable nostril to breathe while hunting in the nearby Elerd Temperate Coast and Chum Tropical Bay. It cannot stay in the water too long because it is a weak swimmer and an easy prey to catch.

It no longer hops on one foot, like its ancestor, because it takes too much energy and resources. Instead, it will "crawl" on all-three and eat what it can before nightfall. Males of the species have a crest on their mouth's tip, and will flaunt at females for the duration of the mating season. They live in small herds of 20 to 40 individuals.

Living Relatives (click to show/hide)

These are randomly selected, and organized from lowest to highest shared taxon. (This may correspond to similarity more than actual relation)
  • Gamergate Gundis (subclass Xylodonta)
  • Pudgy Ketter (class Phyllauria)