Groober
Basic Information
Anatomy
Groobbers are covered in a stiff armored shell that protects it from the elements and predators. The shell is separated into 5 parts, the ventral cephalic shield, the main ventral shield, the proximate caudal shield, the dorsal cephalic shield, and the main dorsal shield. The jointing between the parts allows for some degree of flexibility, although even so groobers are hardly more flexible than an earth turtle.. The bottom of its feet are also armored and align properly with the rest of the shell when retracted. It has a retractable tail it uses to breathe by retracting and expanding it continuously into a chamber on its posterior. Still though its tail is inefficient and respiration of air, forcing the groober to periodically return to water. It has two feelers which are also retractable on the sides of its mouth which it uses to move food to its mouth. It has two bumpy plates at each side of its mouth to break down food before ingesting it. Its head does not stick out of its shell.
Genetics and Reproduction
Once a year Groobbers make a migration to shallow water where they pair up and a female lays a cluster of eggs which the male then fertilizes. These eggs have a soft cover and a sticky substance that deters most predators from consuming them.
Growth Rate & Stages
Groobbers start out hatching from their egg sacs where they are born without shells. They grow eating small plant matter from the bottom while their shells grow in. Once mature they leave the water to feed on plant matter on land. After that they make a migration back to water to spawn.
Ecology and Habitats
A groober will spend most of its life on land returning to water only occasionally to increase blood oxygenation. They don’t congregate together for any reason other than an abundance of food in an area. Once a year they migrate to shallow water to spawn. Groobers can be found anywhere there is sufficient fresh water and food on Yama
Biological Cycle
The Groobbers graze on the local flora near water, they use their feelers to move food into their mouths.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Groobers have two eyes to see the world around them, they can see purple the best. They has a sense of touch and has nerve endings on their shells to feel if a predator has given up on it.
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