Harenotaur

The Harenotaur is an herbivore which roams the plains of Barlowe. Being more social than their ancestors, they congregate in groups of 4 to 10. One of their most notable adaptations is their more maneuverable “neck” (which is actually more like a thorax), being able to rotate from a vertical position all the way down to the ground. This is achieved via a less restrictive exoskeleton and heavily folded, armored “skin” between the thorax and midsegment. This flexible thorax allows them to keep browsing on high flora, while also allowing them to feed on shorter flora. Their two arms are now essentially pedipalps, tucked almost just underneath the head to allow for more advanced manipulation of food.

Harenotaurs also have myriad abilities used to defend from their ever-worsening threat of predation. First of all, they sport a higher amount of irritating bristles, which have become thicker and more quill-like to further deter their predators. On the contrary, bristles which are now present on the underside of their temples have genetically separated from the other bristles, becoming fine, whisker-like structures. These structures have nerves at their base which respond to rapid vibrations in the hairs, thus granting them a crude sense of hearing. When grazing on low plants, they often raise their head to look for potential predators, using their posterior eyes which are now far more advanced than their vestigial anterior eyes. Their posterior eyes have also taken on a wide shape, giving them a wide range of view. Because of their relatively slow speed, they resort to other defenses when they are attacked. They often will attempt to kick their pursuer in order to stun it before fleeing, aided by the spur on the back of their front feet. They also employ safety in numbers, and will try to scatter in all directions when ambushed.

Similarly to their counterparts in other regions, the Harenotaurs also have a novel way to protect against cloacal infections. Two coverings shield the cloaca, only opening when they need to eject waste or give birth. They adapted a stegosaur-like body in order to protect the reproductive organs, though this means they must squat or lay down when giving birth. The babies start out without spines, though they quickly grow their sharp barbs. The newborns also start out darker with light purple-colored spots, but this color fades to their characteristic sandy color as they get older. The babies reach maturity in only about 1 year, minimizing the time they have to spend small. Their leg fins are also further adapted, and also have a variety of uses. They are used to regulate heat, and can be individually flushed with blood in the sun to regulate their temperature. They also act as an deimatic display, used to make themselves look bigger when threatened.