Aixnoid

A once rare, hidden species that is now bred and farmed for its unique properties in present day. They are amphibians bred for their mucus secretions.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Aixnoids are long, tubular creatures with ten legs, five on each side of its body. They have two eyes capable of seeing clear in even the most dark and murky waters. Their moist skin is absorbent making them susceptible to changes in their environment.

Biological Traits

Males and females are roughly the same size as each other. Young aixnoids are all the same pale yellow color. Once mature, females turn into a deep orange hue with yellow spots along the ridge of the top of their bodies. Males stay yellow; this color brightens during the mating seasons. Aixnoids are a sexually fluid species. If there are not enough of a certain sex, they can morph their biology to match what is needed.

Genetics and Reproduction

Aixnoids reproduce sexually. They are capable of mating twice a year; the females lay gelatinous eggs in shallow pools they deem safe from predators to their offspring. Females gestate the eggs for three months before laying them. It takes two months to hatch. If the eggs dry out, they shrivel in size and the aixnoid developing inside dies.

Growth Rate & Stages

After hatching, it takes a new aixnoid a full year to reach maturity. It spends its first two months in the shallow pool feeding off of algae, moss, and microscopic organisms. They start off as small tubes with no limbs and poor perception. As they develops, nubs appear along their body that eventually grow into their ten legs. For the rest of the first year, once their legs are functioning, they gradually leave the safety of the pool and explore. During this time they expand their diet to a more omnivorous one, eating anything that can fit in their mouths. Once sexually mature, they wander until they find an area to claim as their own or stay nearby their birthplace to take up permanent residence and find a mate.

Ecology and Habitats

Aixoids thrive in warm, moist environments free of pollution with a slightly basic PH. They need access to shallow water pools to breed that has enough plant and microbe life to feed the babies enough to make it past the first two months. There also need to be plenty of hiding spots to avoid creatures larger than them as they do not have many defense mechanisms.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Aixnoids are omnivores and prefer scavenging and foraging to hunting. If they're in the mood, they will wait near the surface of the water, hidden within any foliage on its surface, and eat any insects that land over its mouth. Usually they stick to algae, moss, and fruit for easy meals. If they stumble onto anything on ground level they'll either eat it right there if no threats are around, or bring what they can to their home area.

Biological Cycle

Since they tend to inhabit warmer places, aixnoids are rarely affected by the changing of seasons. If an area becomes too cold or dry, they seek out the nearest muddy area and dig as deep as they can where they will wait for better conditions if they can't relocate in time.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Aixnoids are bred and farmed for their secretions. Their thick, light brown mucus can be concentrated into a strong substance that can be used to easily break down certain inorganic material like plastics. Oddly enough, it doesn't have effects on organic materials or the environment in general. This secretion needs to go through the refinement and potency increasing process to work effectively. When scientists first discovered them, they noticed the sticky trail they left behind eroded away a thin layer on any of their plastic tools. This encouraged them to look into it and found a way to improve this byproduct to be used productively. They're easy enough to breed and eat a lot of things if offered. Farmers send collected mucus to a lab where it's concentrated and sent out to junk yards and recycling plants to break down items that cannot be composted or recycled easily. The aixnoid themselves can be used to cut down on food waste as well.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

They are more common in the southern regions of Omari and are rarely found in desert or cold areas unless a small population discovered rare spots with inhabitable conditions.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

These creatures rely primarily on their sight and sensitive skin. They can detect even small vibrations. Due to the absorbent nature of their skin, they have evolved ways to detect changes in their environment like PH, certain chemicals, and even the moisture content of the air. This helps them decide when to change location.

Lifespan

30 years

Conservation Status

They are protected by various conservation laws. As their numbers were low upon initial discovery, conservationists want to ensure that their population is stable. Breeding programs were easily set in place once people discovered how useful they can be. There are laws that prevent abuse and neglect during the "farming" process.

Average Height

1.5 ft

Average Weight

22 lbs

Average Length

3.25 ft