Caeruloslontus manis
- Ancestor: Amfivioslontus mikrapodia
- Zone: C
- Size: 14-19 cm long (The bigger size allows it to have better chances against D. majors)
- Reproduction: As with epipediceratos and mikrapodia, the horns are an indicator of health, but the ritual also involves the new developed scales. The females lay the eggs in holes 5 cm deep that they dig with their front legs, these are covered in the same mucus that A. disambiguus, T. paratiritis and its descendants produced to give them humidity. This adaptation to lay eggs in dry land evolved because of the fully terrestrial life style A. manis has. The females and males turn to guard the burrowed nest. Even if they are covered by 5 cm of dirt, some predators might find these as an easy meal.
- Food/Sustenance: Taxonomum florus (including seeds), Lorensia clearensis, Crooksoluis yellionuis (Rests left behind by D. ruchuis), Sudonomum vinensis , T. spraticanus, which they hunt as an extra meal when they eat the T. florus if they get catched in their jaws, F. spinensis and, in case that they manage to find a nest, D. ruchuis’ eggs, since they are a good nutrient source and aren't guarded by the parents.
- Predators: D. major (only after winning competition fights, majors won't cassually attack healthy adults) and A. avianbeakus. Aereal predators like J. tigualus don't find manis a good meal, since the scales placed on top of it make attacks from above difficult.
- Description:
Fully terrestrial life style: A. manis has evolved from a lineage of anfivious oslontiformes but, as seen in mikrapodia, the adaptations to get on land were very useful in the expansion of the Thalassiids. A. manis has culminated that evolution, becoming a fully terrestrial muscal no longer tied to water to reproduce. But zone C contains a lot of organisms, many of which can be potential competition to manis since all 3 of the pholyps regularly consumed by it are also consumed by other muscals. Being tied to one type of food wouldn’t be beneficial, so manis evolved to be able to digest both pholyphs and muscal flesh, eating everything that can fit in its mouth. The thing doesn’t end there. Being no longer tied to water also made the hands loose the webbing, due to it no longer being necessary. A. manis back is covered in a very thin skin with an accumulation of blood vessels under it. When needing to breath, manis lifts its back scales, allowing air to come in contact with the thin skin that absorbs the oxygens which goes directly to the blood vessels.
Adaptations: The scales have evolved, being a weird mix of reptilian and pangolin looking scales. They not only serve the purpose of defending the muscal, but also are used in ritual. The scales can lift up like peacock's feathers using blood vessels near the scales that engorge with blood, pushing them upward. The male that has the biggest “horns” and shinyer scales will be the most attractive towards females. The scale lifting is also used as a menace, making manis look bigger and scaryer. Like mikrapodia, it also has a very good eyesight. The back legs have evolved making manis more agile on land. One would think that the scales might make it less agile, but the scales are actually light. Due to the omnivorous diet, the muscal that competes with manis the most is D. major. Manis’ main defence against them are the 200 tiny teeth it possesen in its mouth and its strong front legs.