Hedgehog Wyvern
In an effort to protect themselves from predation by the cat hawk (D. gatoeidius), a population of mouse wyverns (G. ponticius), soon to become the Hedgehog Wyvern, developed sharp, quill-like feathers on their backs. These special feathers are derived from its normal body feathers and consist only of a long stiff rachis with a few plumy barbs at its base. They also have a more sandy coloration to better blend in within Zone G. Its wing fingers are also shrunken, as flight was rarely used and their quills have replaced their primary function--protection. It is otherwise pretty similar to its ancestor, being 1 foot long and 4 inches tall at the hip. Like its ancestor, it is a nocturnal burrower.
Like its ancestor, the Hedgehog Wyvern uses feather displays and the beard present in males to court mates around dawn or dusk, with the length of the beard showing off its health. After the female has chosen a mate, the male moves into the female’s burrow. They mate underground, and the female then lays a clutch of 2-5 eggs. The parents take turns incubating the eggs until they hatch, and then they take turns bringing food to the burrow to feed their babies until they are about 10 weeks old. The offspring stay with their parents until they are fully mature at about 8 months old, after which they go out to make their own burrows and eventually find a mate, beginning the cycle over again. Mated pairs will attempt to breed twice a year.
The hedgehog wyvern feeds on the seeds of P. akakius, A. thamnos, A. chloodus, A. paralius, and D. desertus. The increasing competition for carcasses forced it to become completely herbivorous, thus it no longer scavenges for meat; as only its ancestor was specialized in seed-eating, it didn't have to worry about competition for that so much.