Imumoslontus ruperitutor

Imumoslontus ruperitutor
Creator	OviraptorFan
Information
Status	Extant
Zones	23
Roles	Scavenger
Classification
Genus	Imumoslontus
Species	Imumoslontus ruperitutor
Evolution
Date	June 19th, 2020
Ancestor	Imumoslontus abyssus
Descendants	Imumoslontus rex

7-9 centimeters long

At the bottom of zone 23, the carcasses of muscals along with dead polyphs were left mainly untouched, with the exception of the synaplotan Phungii zoopoion who even then takes a while to break down. With interspecific competition putting pressure on the species, members of Oslontus abyssus began to take advantage of these bodies. Those with thicker barbs were better able to take a bite of a carcass without breaking, and the higher nutrient-filled diet made the laborious task worth it. Overtime, a new species of dedicated scavengers would evolve from this population.

While having also grown in size due to their more nutritious diet, several other traits distinguish them more prominently than their ancestors. The biggest change are their thicker barbs, which aid in tearing into the flesh of a carcass while they twist and turn for leverage. Another change is their even more reduced eye ridge, being completely blind. Due to their lack of eyes, their chemoreceptors have become more specialized to make up for it, being able to detect the unique chemical odors given off by decomposing carrion. To aid with eating large amounts of meat in one sitting, their digestive tracts are extra stretchy, allowing them to expand and accommodate large meals.

While carrion does provide more nutrients than the mere detritus their ancestors ate, its less frequent nature means Oslontus ruperitutor may have to go for weeks without food. As such, they developed the ability to slow down their metabolic functions in order to conserve energy until food becomes prevalent. If they have no other options, they are known to devour Oslontus abyssus by engulfing them whole.

The reproduction of Oslontus ruperitutor is very similar to their ancestors, but at a less frequent pace. When they come across a carcass, the time to feed is also the time to mate, where they then sexually reproduce in large "orgies" with the males and females mating with multiple partners frequently until they either run out of eggs or the carcass has been fully devoured. The wombs females use to store unfertilized eggs before releasing them while mating also persist, typically producing around 200-210 eggs on average. The inconsistent diet of Oslontus ruperitutor means that the rate at which their young grow can vary a lot, from as short as about 1 week if they are around a large carcass to as long as about a month if no carrion is around as they slow down their metabolism in order to conserve energy. Even if they conserve energy during times of when food is absent, many of the young do not have enough fat reserves to go for longer than a few weeks and starve to death before reaching maturity if carrion is absent, hence why the females have a higher number of eggs than their ancestors. Due to their ability to slow down their metabolisms, they can lived as much as a year on average(although its about 8 months if food is particularly abundant).