Shard Back

Shard Backs are native to the Shifting Sands and other nearby desert regions.  From above they are circular in body shape, though some verities are more oval in shape, the sides lined by several pairs of insect-like legs.  They lack any discernable head, a pair of long feathery antenna the only thing marking what is the 'front' of the creature.  The body of the Shard Back is shaped like a half-sphere and covered with plates.  From in-between these plates grow what gives the creature it's name.  Panes of semi-translucent glass, the material for which derived from the sand the creature is constantly ingesting to consume feed upon the microorganism that live within the sand.  The glass panes are chipped and sharpened by the frequent sandstorms, transforming them into an effective defensive feature from predators.
They have only very privative eyes which can only detect light levels.  Instead they rely on both their antenna and numerus small hairs their legs and the rim of their body to sense the world around them though both smell and touch (and sound via vibration).  They are also sensitive to the pitch and tilt of the land beneath them, which aids them in avoiding areas that may result in a tumble:  a Shard Back that ends up on it's back or side, is as good as dead. 
Mainly active in from dusk until late morning, secluding themselves into anyplace that is shady for the heat of the day:  if they do not reach such place before then, they semi-bury themselves in the sand.
When it comes to reproduction, individuals are both male and female, what role each plays depends on which individual is in front.  For obvious reasons, there's no 'mounting' involved, instead the 'front' Shard Back is 'signaled' to release eggs onto the sand by the 'back' Shard Back via tapping it's legs in a rhythmic pattern.  The 'male' then moves over the patch and fertilizes the eggs before burying it with sand.  This only occurs if they both sense an incoming rainstorm, as said rainfall would help push the eggs deeper into the sand, thus ensuring they survived long enough to hatch into larva.   These larva then join and feed upon the other microorganisms in the sand.
However, no one is exactly sure what the life stage between larva and mature Shard Back looks like....
Due to their defensives, not many creatures of the desert bother them.  The Desert Gar, however, often seek them out to take a shard or two from the larger specimens, as said shards are useful as simple cutting tools and even weapons.  Some Gar have taken a liking to transforming the more colorful shards into decorations and jewelry.