Tatzelback
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With competition being nowhere near as intense as what can be seen on continents such as Wallace or Drake on the island of Ramul, and competition being almost non-existent on the island of Steiner and its surrounding archipelago. All of this meant species that were present in or around these landmasses were able to experiment with lifestyles and niches simply unavailable to them on mainland continents. One such example is the tatzelback, a species of larvaback that had split off from the rest of its lineage and done something never seen before in this group, returning to the land.
Anatomically, the tatzelback is not that different from its ancestors and relatives, mostly because of the fact it's actually fairly easy for a larvaback to theoretically live out of the water. Since they breathe air and have skin that does not dry out, a larvaback could comfortably live on dry land, but in most areas this would not be feasible due to competition. This is also somewhat the case for the tatzelback, as while they can technically survive on land they would be picked off by local predators if they were on the ground as the sauceback can only slowly drag itself along using their splayed out forelimbs. The tatzelback gets around this problem, however, by sticking to the trees. In the canopy of humms and Crystal Flora, the tatzelback can use the enormous claws on their limbs to dig into bark so it's anchored in place. The tail has also seen some changes to make climbing easier, being partially prehensile and having the tail spike bend downwards as a hook. All of this means that the tatzelback can easily get around the canopy in search of prey, avoiding the predators that dwell both in the water and on the ground.
The tatzelback, like all larvabacks and the larvae of the related waxfaces, still possess stiff bristle-like snorkels which run along the dorsal side of their tail. While they do help with breathing when mostly submerged, they also work fairly fine for being out of the water as well, though the tatzelback will noticeably tire after long periods of strenuous exercise. The numerous feather-derived whiskers covering the majority of their body don't serve much assistance with thermoregulation, but the subtropical to tropical temperatures means the tatzelback can remain pretty active even without much of a coat, plus their thicker skin inherited from their ancestors helps retain some heat. The thicker skin also helped provide some protection when the tatzelback attacked prey, as often times it might try to fight back by biting or scratching. The ear drums and general ridge surrounding it (which is actually homologous to the pinnae seen in most other saucebacks) have moved farther back on the head to make it less likely for prey to attack these areas and potentially cause damage to these sensitive organs. One interesting change seen in the tatzelback compared to its ancestors and relatives is that the fleshy ridge surrounding the eardrum has developed the ability to move slightly, allowing it to better focus the directions of sounds in the air which in turn benefited their arboreal lifestyle.
Much like most extant saucebacks, and like all non neodromeodont saucebacks alive in modern times, the tatzelbacks lack any sense of sight but possess an excellent sense of hearing. This is translated into the species utilizing echolocation to navigate their world, both in and out of the water. The whiskers also serve very important roles in regards to senses, detecting small vibrations in the water for both small, easy to catch prey or to avoid potential predators. On land, the whiskers serve a more tactile role, helping feel around the branches for the ideal position to get a grip though they also help detect vibrations in the air to a minor extent. The tatzelback's hunting strategies depend on what it hunts, ranging from breaking into nests to active pursuit. The most common hunting strategy seen in the tatzelback, however, is to simply lie in wait for swift moving prey like minikruggs to crawl past it before lunging towards them. For slower moving game such as squaphaneers, the tatzelback will simply chase them down due to the fact they can move at a quicker pace. One particular type of prey that tatzelbacks will tackle is the chicks of local phlyer species, with individuals waiting for the right opportunity to snatch a youngster and quickly clambering back down the trees before the parents can put up any notable resistance.
Because of their adaptations to clamber about branches, the tatzelback was not as well adapted for swimming as its ancestors or its relatives. This in turn meant that while they could swim the distances between Steiner and Ramul, a tatzelback is unsuited for a pelagic lifestyle and would have little chance surviving out in the open ocean.
The tatzelback, like all non-finback larvabacks, still lays their eggs out of the water. The species indeed has quite interesting behaviors regarding their reproduction. The eggs produced by female tatzelbacks show their oceanic ancestry, the eggs being conical in shape with increased air permeability at the tip. Alongside a larger air pocket being found at the tip, eggs shaped like this help make sure that portion stays out of the water as much as possible which is important for oceanic larvabacks. Despite this clear oceanic ancestry, the female tatzelback does not lay her eggs in the ocean if possible, instead she will seek out freshwater ponds as an ideal nesting site. Once she finds one, the tatzelback female will make a careful descent to the ground, being one of the few times this species will also move across the ground rather than clambering among the branch of swimming in water. While doing this carries grave risks for the mother, as she can be a vulnerable target to ground predators like teacup saucebacks, she also increases the chances of her young surviving by laying her eggs next to the pond. When the resulting larvae hatch, they will immediately wriggle their way into the pond, which will absolutely have fewer predators to threaten the larvae than if the mother simply laid her eggs in the ocean. In this relatively safe nursery, the larval tatzelbacks will feed upon small microbes and whatever detritus is available for around a month and a half, by which point they will grow over the course of two weeks into a miniature version of their adult forms.
Once that happens, the young tatzelbacks will crawl out of the ponds and make a mad dash for a tree to climb up, as they are highly vulnerable on the ground. On occasion certain predators will wait for this bounty such as certain species of teacup saucebacks and other opportunistic predators, which is why tatzelbacks will produce several hundred eggs to increase the chances that a few will make it to safety. After they do reach the trees, the tatzelbacks will take about a year to reach full size, by which point they will also have reached sexual maturity. If they are lucky, the tatzelbacks may be able to live as long as twenty years, though they often only live between five to twelve years on average due to predation when traveling in water.
There are times, however, where a female tatzelback does not have the options to lay their eggs in sheltered freshwater ponds such as for individual who dwell within mangal habitats. In these situations, they will settle with laying their eggs in sheltered parts of coastal waters where predators will not be able to easily access, with the oceanic adaptations of tatzelback eggs coming in handy. Despite this, however, eggs laid in coastal waters have a much lower survival rate compared to those laid within sheltered ponds due to the high prevalence of predators.
