Fuzzbuckets

Fuzzbuckets are a derived family of generally small, social Gomphiobians with a broad omnivorous diet consisting of planimals, seeds, fruit, smaller dispeculates, carrion - basically anything that is available to them. One defining feature of the group is a bird-like beak, which evolved from the middle proboscis of their basal gomphobian ancestors and has become the primary mouth of the organisms. The other two probosces have become tactile and sensory organs, possessing long and sensitive filaments that act as whiskers. The head crests serve both as display structures and as ears, being used to sense vibrations in their environment. The frontmost limbs have become grabbing arms, while the second and third pair are for locomotion. The fourth pair of limbs has been reduced completely. The fourth pair of limbs has been reduced completely. All members of the group lay hard-shelled eggs which are fertilised internally, similar to earth’s birds. The eggs are communally looked after and protected until they hatch, after which they are brought into the family group, with some splitting off to form their own troops, thus ensuring that the main group does not become too large over time. The armour common to the ancestor of all gomphibians has in Fuzzbuckets become an internal “shell” of sorts, making the body very compact and protecting the internal organs.

The Sam-I-Am Fuzzbucket (Celestinictis seussi, Seuss’ Heavenly weasel) and Owl-faced Fuzzbucket (Celestinictis avipus, bird-footed Heavenly weasel) are excellent representatives of the many species common to Media Insula. Most species vary in colouration and crest/ear size and shape, but besides this are fairly conservative generalists. As such, they have been able to colonise a wide variety of environments on the continent, including grasslands, forests and deserts, common in both ground-dwelling and arboreal niches.

Most species of Fuzzbucket are fairly conservative in body plan and size (generally no larger than the average house cat and weighing around 2-3 kg at the most). There is, however, at least two species that has evolved away from the typical stock. The Snowshoe Fuzzbucket (Lanatopus perfosser, Burrowing Woolly foot) is part of a radiation of Fuzzbuckets into Terra Septentrionis, and has several adaptations for the cold climate such as shorter legs and tail, more robust probosces and forelimbs, and a full coat of fur that covers even the sensory probosces and feet. The hair on the feet act as snowshoes, making the feet larger and assisting in walking through snow, hence its common name. It is much more carnivorous than it’s warmer-weather cousins and has a lifestyle more akin to that of a badger, living in self-excavated burrows and in smaller groups than the typical Fuzzbuckets of Media Insula.

The Snowshoe Fuzzbucket (Lanatopus perfosser, Burrowing Woolly foot) is part of a radiation of Fuzzbuckets into the Northern continent, and has made several adaptations to the cold climate such as shorter legs and tail, shorter thicker probosces and a full coat of fur, even covering the sensory probosces and feet. The hair on the feet act as snowshoes, making the feet larger and assisting in walking through snow, hence its common name. It is much more carnivorous than it’s warmer-weather cousins and has a lifestyle more akin to that of a badger, living in self-excavated burrows and in smaller groups than the typical Fuzzbuckets of Media Insula.

The Bearded Muppet (Crustulutherium jimhensonii, Jim Henson’s Cookie Beast), a native of Media Insula's tropical forests, is yet another exception to the family’s norm. While the Snowshoe is still fairly conservative despite its polar adaptations, this creature is much more derived. By far the largest member of the family at around a metre long, The Bearded Muppet lives in small family groups of up to ten related individuals, and forages on the forest floor for tasty morsels such as planimals, low-lying polyspeculates and fruit or seeds that either reside on the ground or fall down from above. Their bright blue faces and orange probosces are used to signal to fellow Muppets, as like all Fuzzbuckets they possess very astute colour vision. These Muppets are by no means as friendly or easy-going as their namesake, and as such the majority of predators steer clear of them as they can pack a strong punch with their enlarged forelimbs and heavy crushing beak, and a charging muppet can cause a surprising amount of damage for such a relatively small creature.