Radivorislontus axivermis

Radivorislontus axivermis
Creator	OviraptorFan
Information
Status	Extant
Zones	A, B
Roles	Base-Consumer
Classification
Genus	Radivorislontus
Species	Radivorislontus axivermis
Evolution
Date	November 7th, 2020
Ancestor	Radivorislontus drillus
Descendants	No results

When populations of Radivorislontus drillus spread northwards, they faced the problems of scarcer food and increasingly colder temperatures. The ancestors of Radivorislontus axivermis adapted to handle to the harsher conditions.

30 centimeters long
Originated in Zones B and A, the boundary between the two zones.

Radivorislontus axivermis has a drill-like projections around their beak that helps with burrowing both into the roots and the soil. The permafrost layers force them to live closer to the surface than their ancestors but they will dig 1-2 meters, the deepest layers they can inhabit in the unfrozen substrate to shield them from the intense cold of the surface. They primarily feed on the roots of Ultraplortatus stellafrons and Ultraplortatus pephkokladius. They develop large fat reserves within their tails. Their pattern of dark brown on top has spread to cover most of the body with only the underside being paler. The darker colorations absorb heat better than lighter ones. Their larger body size compared to their ancestors allows them to retain more heat. During summer Radivorislontus axivermis will come up to the surface to bask when the sun shines the brightest before going back underground.

When the winters become extremely harsh Radivorislontus axivermis will seek out the roots of the polyphs they feed on, digging into them as much as they can and seeking shelter inside the trees. They rapidly slow down their metabolism and hibernate similarly to their distant ancestor Radivorislontus cuniculum, relying on the fat reserves for four months. If they begin to get too cold they will rapidly twitch their limb muscles without actually moving them, generating a little bit of heat. Once the coldest parts of the winter passes they begin the process of leaving hibernation to then return to feeding.

They mate with any others of their kind they come across, since this may be the only chance to mate for a while in this harsh landscape. Twice a year, females will lay 20-25 soft eggs in a unique underground chamber dug in the deepest parts of the substrate they can access before leaving the eggs to fend for themselves. The colder temperatures and less abundant sources of food means they take longer to mature than their ancestors, taking two months rather than one.