| Desert Rattleback | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Naming | |||
| Others | North American Rattleback | ||
| Binomen | N/A | ||
| Morphology | |||
| Body type | Mammalian | ||
| Intelligence | |||
| Sentience | Sentient | ||
| Sapience | Non-Sapient | ||
| Ecology | |||
| Place of origin | North America | ||
| Habitat | Desert | ||
| Diet | Herbivorous | ||
| Locomotion | Quadrupedal | ||
| Related species | South American Rattleback | ||
| Behind the Scenes | |||
| Universe | The Future Is Wild | ||
The Desert Rattleback is a moderately large armored rodent, distantly related to the South American Rattleback. It lives in the cold Kansas deserts circa 5 million years in the future, where it feeds on underground tubers. Both species are named after the rattling sound they make with their scales.
Biology[]
Unlike its South American relative, the Desert Rattleback has a tail, which stores water and energy reserves, and while the keratin scales covering its back are not as broad as those of its Amazonian cousin, they along with its thick hair confer efficient protection against sandstorms. Females take care of their young, which might otherwise fall prey to the Deathgleaners.
