Ensirostrum platygracilis

A wetlands-dwelling, antelope- and heron-like, omnivorous, wading organism, about 4 feet tall at the shoulder.
The creature is an omnivore, eating almost anything it can find, from small animals, to eggs, to both mobile and sessile polyspeculates. It hunts by using its large, flat, spade-like horn, which it kept from its Gomphiobia ancestors. This horn is filled to the brim with electroreceptors, which it uses to sense the electrical impulses from dispeculates and polyspeculates in the murky water. Its powerful olfactory senses are located in a pair of large, long antennae, which can be pivoted in all directions. These antennae evolved from a head crest present on its ancestors. The eyes of the creature are compound eyes, and are rather weak, used mostly for detecting light and far-off predators. One of the proboscises has split into a pair of barbels, that house all of the creatures taste receptors, and are used to taste the waters as it wades through the wetlands. The two remaining proboscises are long and muscular, used for snatching prey out of the water. These proboscises are tipped with sharp, beak-like structures, and can be fully retracted. The lack of grinding teeth or other such structures has lead to the use of gastroliths. The series of spiracles present on its ancestors have been converted into three pairs of eardrums along the neck, which are very good at detecting the direction that a sound is coming from, which is essential considering their lack of keen eyesight. One pair of spiracles has been kept for breathing, and is located at the base of the neck. The neck itself is long and flexible, aiding in both hunting and in detecting predators. The neck and body support a series of thin, lightweight keratin plates, which offer some protection to the organism. The body of Ensirostrum platygracilis is rather short, with eight limbs, six of which are used for locomotion. The feet on these legs are wide and flat, stopping the creatures from sinking down into the silt. The “bones” in these feet are made primarily of cartilage, allowing them to be very flexible. The pair of limbs not used for locomotion have evolved and become specialized in tandem with a hollow back crest, to produce sound via stridulation through the grooves on the crest and the hooks on the limbs. While it uses all six limbs while walking, it switches to bipedalism when running, tucking its four front legs underneath its chest and using its strong back legs to run. As it runs, the head and neck are held in a kind of S-shape, not unlike an ostrich, and the proboscises are retracted to prevent damaging. The bones in its tail are denser than others in the body, and act as a counterweight while running, compensating for its short length.
These creatures are hermaphrodites, with all individuals being capable of producing eggs. Pairings are seasonal, usually forming in Spring. During courtship, both individuals will perform a kind of mating ritual, mostly consisting of rapid head-bobbing and “singing”. The eggs are a muddy brown in color, and are laid in clutches of 3-5. These eggs are cared for by both parents for the 5 month gestation period, and once hatched, the hatchlings follow one of the parents for several weeks before dispersing. These creatures have a maximum lifespan of about 14 years, though most only live to about 7. These creatures are prey for many other larger carnivores.