Burrowmander

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Burrowmander.png

Extinct.png

Taxonomy
Ancestors and Descendants
Ancestor: Nocturmander


Creator: Bufforpington

Habitat: East Peninsular Scrubland

Size: 30 cm Long

Diet: Insectivore (Spikeworm, Earthleech, Tongueworm, Crawlarmor, Armorjaw, Digworm)

Reproduction: Sexual, Eggs laid in spawning pools

The burrowmander split from its ancestor and has adopted a more subterranean lifestyle. It now digs its own burrows to sleep in. However, they have been known to expand abandoned slythdigger burrows. They have lost the webbing between the feet to facilitate digging. It also has lost the fifth eye on the top of its head, as it kept on getting damaged when the eye got rubbed against the burrow's ceiling. The nostrils on its neck now have the ability to close, this helps keep dirt from falling into them while it burrows. However, it must take regular breaks from digging to breathe. Like their ancestors, they leave their burrows at night to hunt for tuckworms. Their burrows are rather simple, consisting of a long, winding entryway leading to a sleeping chamber. However, during their mating season, male burrowmanders will add another chamber to their burrow and dig a channel leading to it. When it rains, this chamber fills with water. Females choose the males that dug out the largest spawning pool. After laying her eggs, the female abandons the male, who must care for the tadpoles. The male will seek out small tuckworms and tear them to shreds, feeding the small pieces to the tadpoles. Because the eggs are not in danger of being eaten, females lay fewer eggs. This also makes it easier for the male to raise the tadpoles. The tadpoles develop rapidly, being able to live out of the water within a few weeks. At this point, the male abandons the 10 cm long burrowmanders. Few of these young burrowmanders will survive, as many will be eaten by predators.