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Description

A mother Granulated Divehog and calf approach some algae growing on a rock. These are obligate herbivores specialized for diving for algae, living much like marine iguanas today. Mature adults differ little between sexes morphologically and average a few hundred pounds in weight. Though they forage alone and are not very social, on land the Divehogs congregate in herds of a few thousand or so, basking in the summer sun and huddling together to brave the winter cold. They have thick fat layers into which they can draw their vulnerable extremities and a broad, powerful radulae-type mouth which they use to scrape up their food. Divehogs are closely related to Beardflags and kin and found only along the coastline of the vast “Underground Sea”, a massive inland sea located near the center of the northern supercontinent. They prefer marshy stretches of coast with numerous gravel/sand banks to haul out on, removing the need to venture to shore. Named for their infrequent scatterings of keratinous nodules, Granulated Divehogs are by combined mass the Underground Sea’s most numerous herbivores. Though they can swim properly, Divehogs prefer bottom walking, staying underwater for several minutes at a time. Though excellent at navigating the underwater landscape, they rarely venture much deeper than a few meters, as further in there is less algae and more risk of drowning and predation.

Description

A mother Granulated Divehog and calf approach some algae growing on a rock. These are obligate herbivores specialized for diving for algae, living much like marine iguanas today. Mature adults differ little between sexes morphologically and average a few hundred pounds in weight. Though they forage alone and are not very social, on land the Divehogs congregate in herds of a few thousand or so, basking in the summer sun and huddling together to brave the winter cold. They have thick fat layers into which they can draw their vulnerable extremities and a broad, powerful radulae-type mouth which they use to scrape up their food. Divehogs are closely related to Beardflags and kin and found only along the coastline of the vast “Underground Sea”, a massive inland sea located near the center of the northern supercontinent. They prefer marshy stretches of coast with numerous gravel/sand banks to haul out on, removing the need to venture to shore. Named for their infrequent scatterings of keratinous nodules, Granulated Divehogs are by combined mass the Underground Sea’s most numerous herbivores. Though they can swim properly, Divehogs prefer bottom walking, staying underwater for several minutes at a time. Though excellent at navigating the underwater landscape, they rarely venture much deeper than a few meters, as further in there is less algae and more risk of drowning and predation.