#deinotheres

Burrowing Pangophin: The Deinorostrids are usually aquatic creatures, entirely bound to the water. Yet in the inland regions of Johan’s Island, the burrowing pangophin can be found in large rivers and lakes. Like all other deinorostrids, these animals are carnivores, feeding on invertebrates such as crustaceans and worms. They feed primarily on the lakebeds, where they unearth buried prey with their wide beaks. During the late winter, they will also use these talents to construct large burrows along riverbanks to rear their young in.

Wander Gander: During the winter months, the Wander Gander can be found everywhere across the northern hemisphere. But when spring breaks, the entire population congregate on just a few islands in the Blast Archipelago. They gather here to breed and rear their chicks. Male wander ganders are incredibly colourful, possessing a vibrant beak and striking blue plumage, females are comparatively drab, being mostly grey.

Towering Shorestrider: By far the largest Nackavid, the towering shorestrider is distinct for its hight and vibrant purple throat and legs. Native to the Wormlan isles, this carnivore hunts similarly to a heron, eating both aquatic and terrestrial prey. They will usually take prey much larger than a herons preferred food items, and the Towering Shorestrider might be more analogous to a flightless azhdarchid pterosaur in this aspect.

Razorbill Gandbird: The archeirids are the most basal members of the cheuinaevia clade. They are most common in the southern hemisphere, as the northern branch of the clade went extinct around 4 million years ago, and the equator is hard to cross especially for these smaller poorer swimmers. The Razorbill gandbird is one of only 3 species found in the northern hemisphere. Of these it is the by far the most northern species, being found in the polar reefs and sunshine islands on Polaris’ north pole.

Dwarf Ganduin: Smallest of all ganduins, this animal is a resident of the Shevell Isles. They are omnivorous, preferring nuts, fruit and bugs. Their eggs are laid during late spring in small depressions in the ground and covered by leaves to hide them. While the towering Shorestrider only lays one egg in a year, the dwarf ganduin can lay up to 8 eggs in a clutch and may have 3 broods each season.

Duckbilled Shorestrider: Entirely endemic to the Blast Archipelago, these Shorestriders prefer freshwater environments. More herbivorous than their towering relatives, the Duckbilled Shorestrider’s diet includes various aquatic vegetation along with the fish and terrestrial prey more common to this clade. The Duckbilled Shorestrider is also unique for its ability to change colours depending on the seasons, being a bright whitish beige during the summers and a much darker grey to black colour in the winter.

Red Ganduin: The Shevell Isles are home to several Yellekho cultures who share a small group of related beliefs and practices. One common story tells the story of a mythical ancestral figure being taught some sort of skill by the red ganduin, usually either how to make fire or how to make an animal sacrifice. The teacher in the story is often considered the ancestor of all red ganduins and is sometimes associated with a lightning or sky god. The red ganduin is a very important animal for the Yellekho living here, and for good reason. It is a predatory and nearly completely terrestrial, really only entering water during floods. Though competent predators, the Red ganduins are most well known for fighting each other during territorial disputes as these animals are fiercely territorial.

Forest Stripeuin: This is one of the only truly herbivorous species of Ganduins. They dwell in and around forested regions of Shevell Isle. Here, they are often accompanied by their smaller cousins, the dwarf Ganduins, who scramble around the larger stripeuins, enjoying the protection they grant them. The stripeuins are browsers and quite messy eaters, as such they not only feed the smaller creatures who couldn’t reach these food items on their own, but they also help the forest grow by letting nuts and fruit fall to the ground where their seeds can start growing.