Sawback Shrewv

The Sawback Shrewv has developed both in defense and speed. It has doubled in size and thus has developed a thicker shell and can cover more ground as it searches for food. Its shell has taken to growing a row of large blades along its dorsal side, each covered in small bristly spines to deter predators. The gap from which its feeding pseudopods extend has shifted forward in their positioning, allowing the Shrewv to feed without needing to position itself directly over the food source. Although its method of moving is quite slow, it does have an option for how to evade predators. When threatened it will retract its feet pseudopods and roll along the seabed, turning into a bristly ball and both evading and deterring any slow moving predators.

Reproduction occurs throughout the year, with new cells being produced following meals. Nuclei are encased into cell membranes from the foot pseudopods and deposited into nearby substrates. Genetic material is transferred between Sawback Shrewvs whenever they come across one another. Through contact via their foot pseudopods, they will transfer nuclei between them. Each nucleus has varying genetic code. When nuclei are swapped between cells, the cells' percentage of nuclei with distinct genetic codes changes, becoming an amalgamation of nuclei with the codes of each donnor, and merged codes. Thus the more swapping the Shrewv performs, the more varied its overall genetic make up becomes.

Once a Sawback Shrewv cell is deposited into the substrate, it will spend 3-6 months building its shell. During this time they will filter feed during the night, spending the day in straight burrows as deep as 20 cm into the substrate where conditions allow. They emerge once they have reached 1.5 cm in size and begin wandering in search of food and new locations to bury themselves to grow larger and thicker shells. They spend much of their lives buried, only coming to the surface when they have exhausted the substrate of building materials, or if they sense nearby food to scavenge from. This food is usually carcasses that have landed on the seabed. In meeting at carcasses, Shrewv are able to exchange genetic material and will then bury new cells in the substrate, along with themselves after wandering a short distance. Carcass falls thus result in many burrows of Sawback Shrewv being scattered near the former body.