Rolyknights

Rolyknights split from their ancestor and got much smaller. Not being fast enough to escape from predators easily, they have developed extra segments and the ability to curl into a ball like a Terran pill bug. This defensive position makes them more difficult to crush and causes them to sometimes roll right out of harm’s way. To support their defensive position, Rolyknights reduced, though haven’t totally lost, their lateral thorns so they do not get in the way. However, with their additional segments, they are a lot more flexible, allowing them to inch--so their locomotion ability is hardly affected. Their antennae are smaller and thinner so that they do not interfere with curling up. Because of their small size, Rolyknights are largely colored like the local soil rather than matching local flora.

With help from their flexibility, Rolyknights have developed internal fertilization. While their eggs still must be laid in water, mating instead of spawning increases the number of eggs fertilized with less sperm wasted. Their breeding season varies from species to species depending heavily on the climate, usually coinciding with rain, thaw, or other sources of vast amounts of water top lay their eggs in.

There are many different species of Rolyknight, and they are often difficult to distinguish. Sometimes, the number of segments can be used to identify species, but this can sometimes vary even on an individual basis. Their coloration is usually some shade of grey or brown to match the local soil, and temperate and polar species usually hibernate underground in soft soil over the winter, using their faces to dig deep burrows. Like their ancestor, their exoskeleton grows in layers which shed periodically. They usually eat their own shed to recover lost nutrients.