Dwarf Struti
The dwarf struti is a miniature descendant of a struti population which migrated to Zone G. With less food and water available, the dwarf struti became as its namesake and got smaller. It is only 3 feet long not counting feathers and stands at only 1.5 feet tall at the hip. Like its ancestor, its wings are too small for it to fly; however, it has also found a new way to use its wings aside from display--by strategically waving and flapping, it can use its wings to take sharp turns that would have made its ancestor topple. Thanks to its reduced size, it cannot run quite as fast as its ancestor; however, it is still quite fast for its size and can reach a sprinting speed of 20 mph in short bursts.
The dwarf struti’s colorful display feathers, located on its wings, tail, and horns, are soft and bouncy much like the bouncy fluff around its neck that it shares with its ancestor. When choosing mates, two dwarf struti will perform an elaborate mating dance showcasing how big, colorful, and well-kept their display feathers are. After mating, the female lays 2-6 eggs in a shallow nest dug in the ground which hatch after about 5 weeks. Hatchlings are already able to walk, and they follow their parents until they can fend for themselves. Dwarf strutis are fully grown at 6 months of age.
Like its ancestor, the dwarf struti has good hearing and can easily listen for predators. Without anything else from its ancestor’s environment easily available, the dwarf struti’s diet consists almost entirely of E. phylloakidus, though it will also feed on the roots of D. flitzanius and D. cendra that have already been uprooted by U. saharus.
