The Bolderphants are a species of elephant-like Amphibious creature, whose ancestors were introduced to Xeno millions of years ago. Bolderphants evolved thanks to the mass extinction event 50 million years ago, filling the niche of large herbivorous animals.
Taxonomy[]
The Bolderphant's name is a mixed translation between the latin word "Loxodonta" (the scientific family name for earth Elephants) and the greek word "onkólithos" (boulder). the species' name, "Ankylo" (fused) is in reference to the fused nature of the Bolderphant's shell.
Bolderphants evolved from the family group consisting of the Lockjaw Toad, further advancing both the elongated mouth and hardened bodies of its ancestors.
Biology[]
Anatomy[]
Bolderphants are stocky, sturdy animals that, as their names suggest, vaguely resemble earth Elephants. Their bodies are hairless, but they've adapted a primitive armored covering along their backs as an extra means of protection against larger predators, both native and introduced. These shells are made up of internal secretions from their backs, which harden when in contact with the air around them. If a piece is ever broken off, the secretions are capable of re-growing that part of the shell. As the names suggest, they possess a long, flexible, trunk-like mouth, the creature able to consume food through the tips of their trunks. Females also possess an internal sac at the front of the trunk.
Their feet lack any toes, but instead spread in a wide, flat foot to spread their weight to avoid sinking into the soft mud and dirt of their habitat. Unlike their amphibious ancestors, the skeletal structure of the Bolderphants is much more developed, evolving into a semi-mammalian like shape. Males and Females barely show any differences, but males do show to grow larger than females on average.
Behavior[]
Bolderphants are solitary creatures, roaming large territories which the Bolderphants mark with scent-covered slime they leave on plants as they wander. Both males and females have overlapping territories extending several miles. When two Bolderphants meet in conflict over territory, Bolderphants will often attempt to avoid physical confrontation in the form of displaying their bulk to show who's larger and stronger. If this doesn't work, Bolderphants then perform what is call "shell-scraping": both individuals stand alongside eachother and bash their shells against eachother until one of them surrenders. This confrontation will often shave off spots of their shells, chunks of shells left behind in confrontations and leaving both sides more vulnerable to predators.

Headshot of an "expecting" female Bolderphant.
Bolderphants, in spite of their territorial nature, are naturally herbivorous, their diet mainly consisting of swamp grasses and shrubs. However, it is also known to supplement its diet by consuming small insects, and other small lifeforms that can fit within its tube-like mouth.
Reproduction[]
Bolderphant reproduction takes place during the "Autumn" months on Xeno, in which both males and females gather and compete for the right to mate. These are often when "Shell-Scraping" occurs between competitors, which predators take full advantage of much of the time. After mating, the female carries the fertilized eggs within the trunk's internal sac, remaining within there for a maximum of several months. During this time however, as the eggs begin to fertilize, the female becomes incapable of eating as the internal sac becomes too swollen to do so. When it's time to lay her eggs, the female will locate a large piece of vegetation, and then sprays her eggs into it, the underdeveloped young covered in a slimy secretion to keep them moist.
The female then guards her eggs from potential predators until they are developed enough to wiggle free of the secretions. On this sign, the female leaves, the young having to defend for themselves upon being born. Young Bolderphants remain together until they become a year old, which they then developed the secretions that make up their specialized shells.