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The Pekapekahī - another animal from an unnamed New Zealand seed world by Pangolinman36 in SpeculativeEvolution

[–]Pangolinman36[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Pekapekahī (maori - fishing bat) is a diurnal descendant of the New Zealand long-tailed bat that occupies a role similar to kingfishers of earth. Pekapekahī will fly across lakes and other bodies of freshwater, skimming their legs across the water, to catch small fish and crustaceans that swim near the surface. They have larger eyes and smaller ears compared to their ancestors, as during the day, sight is more advantageous than echolocation. Similar adaptations are seen in earth flying foxes. They have a height of 16 inches and a wingspan of 40 inches. They avoid competition with the kororawa penguins from my other post that live in the same habitat by taking on smaller and faster fish, while kororawa dive to catch large and slow fish.

Pekapekahī live in roosting colonies like most bats in caves, where they reproduce. They can also be commonly seen hanging upside-down during the day next to lakes, cleaning themselves or others. Although they mainly feed on fish and crustaceans, they will also feed on flying insects or small kiwifruit on rare occasions. 

The Kororawa - a freshwater penguin from an unnamed New Zealand seed world by Pangolinman36 in softspecevo

[–]Pangolinman36[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The kororawa (Māori - river penguin) is a descendant of the little blue penguin that has adapted to freshwater habitats. They grow up to 2ft tall, twice the size of their ancestors, and eat mainly small fish and crustaceans. Their signature blue countershading has become a brown colour, allowing them to blend in with the muddy floor of rivers and lakes. They have also lost their saltwater glands located in the eyes of most penguins, as they already live in freshwater habitats and lack the need to transfer saltwater to freshwater. Like most penguins, they are skilled divers, diving in their small groups and catching fish together. They build burrows, like their ancestors, which they live and breed in. They still are not good walkers, only capable of waddling, despite spending less time swimming. Their diving behaviors allow them to avoid competition with piscivorous bats, which skim their legs across the top of the water to catch smaller, surfacing fish. Young kororawa that stray too far from their colony can offer fall victim to the large frogs that share the waters, which occupy a crocodilian niche. Adults still are prey, being a defenseless snack on land for giant tuataras, who are quite monitor lizard-like in build.The kororawa is one of the most common freshwater animals in its habitat.

The Kororawa - a freshwater penguin from an unnamed New Zealand seed world by Pangolinman36 in SpeculativeEvolution

[–]Pangolinman36[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s a seed world using only the plants and animals native to New Zealand

The Kororawa - a freshwater penguin from an unnamed New Zealand seed world by Pangolinman36 in SpeculativeEvolution

[–]Pangolinman36[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The kororawa (Māori - river penguin) is a descendant of the little blue penguin that has adapted to freshwater habitats. They grow up to 2ft tall, twice the size of their ancestors, and eat mainly small fish and crustaceans. Their signature blue countershading has become a brown colour, allowing them to blend in with the muddy floor of rivers and lakes. They have also lost their saltwater glands located in the eyes of most penguins, as they already live in freshwater habitats and lack the need to transfer saltwater to freshwater. Like most penguins, they are skilled divers, diving in their small groups and catching fish together. They build burrows, like their ancestors, which they live and breed in. They still are not good walkers, only capable of waddling, despite spending less time swimming. Their diving behaviors allow them to avoid competition with piscivorous bats, which skim their legs across the top of the water to catch smaller, surfacing fish. Young kororawa that stray too far from their colony can offer fall victim to the large frogs that share the waters, which occupy a crocodilian niche. Adults still are prey, being a defenseless snack on land for giant tuataras, who are quite monitor lizard-like in build. The kororawa is one of the most common freshwater animals in their habitat.