Xatadeega

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Xatadeega
(Elephaculescens gensdena)
Artwork of Xatadeega
Species is extant.
Creator Coolsteph Other
Taxonomy
Domain
Kingdom
Phylum
Superclass
Class
Subclass
Order
Suborder
Family
Genus
Species
Eukaryota
Carpozoa
Spondylozoa
Anisoscelida
Caudapodia
Eucaudapodia
Lophocula
Aurocula
Ballistatheridae
Elephaculescens
Elephaculescens gensdena
Week/Generation 25/157
Habitat Dixon Tropical Woodland
Size 65 cm Long
Primary Mobility Unknown
Support Endoskeleton (Bone)
Diet Herbivore (young Carnossamer leaves and stems, Hanging Olshkra)
Respiration Active (Lungs)
Thermoregulation Endotherm
Reproduction Sexual, Two Sexes, Hard-shelled Eggs
Descendant of Ancestor of

The xatadeega eats mainly hanging olshkras off obsidiroot leaves, as it has no competition in that area. Its small trunk expands its feeding range, but it's still limited to hanging olshkra growing on younger, shorter obsidiroots. With hanging olshkra being 40 cm long and xatadeega being 65 cm long, it's not quite like plucking apples off a tree. Rather, it's more like very large, oddly shaped watermelons/Christmas tree ornaments being batted around by the trunks of tiny elephants until they fall. If the obsidiroot sapling is thin enough, xatadeegas may push them over to bring the leaves and hanging olshkras closer to the ground. Once the hanging olshkra is on the ground, xatadeegas cut them into manageable pieces with their chin-spikes, now elongated chin-tusks. Using the two fingers on their trunks, they grip bite-size pieces and stuff the pieces into their narrow mouths. Their long guts produce large amounts of chitinase, an enzyme that breaks down chitin.

Xatadeegas' tendency to eat the parasites of obsidiroots, as well as the leaves and stems of the carnossamer competition, make them advantageous to obsidiroot populations. (despite occasionally pushing over obsidiroot saplings) This is in contrast to their distant relative, the grabnub, which opens up space for carnossamers by gnawing down obsidiroots.

Author's Notes

Notes: The taxonomic name should roughly translate to, "Like a small elephant with a chin-tooth."

The xatadeega and the grabnub's common ancestor is the river tailhopper. Unexpectedly, the grabnub isn't a "xata", which one would expect based on its orange color and eye-ears.