Describe an imaginary yet ecologically acceptable new species

[vihaking277]

Try to describe a new species. Give it taxonomy, a scientific name, diet, ecological niche, common name, and all sorts of other stuff. Try to maybe ally it with another, maybe describe a symbiosis, and give me your ideas below!

My idea is…

Leaf swallow, Silvadomus folialis

Neat mosaic patterns of varying leaf colours on the wings, orange throat with green body, dark green forked tail with long streamers.

Order: Passeriformes
Suborder: Passeri
Family: Hirundinidae
Subfamily: Hirundininae
Tribe: Silvadominii
Genus: Silvadomus
Species: S. folialis

Diet: Small insects caught in flight

Habitat: Intermediate Highland Forest near open plateau grassland

Calls: Irritating bubbly trills

Nest: Small mud nest built on tree forks

Eggs: Small brown eggs with white speckles

Lifespan: 5 years, half an year spent as juveniles

Conservation Status: Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)

[william6]

Hydrophilacris congoensis - Congo Diving Cricket (Orthoptera: Ensifera: Grylloidea: Phalangopsidae).

A newly discovered species of amphibious cricket found in bais and dambos in central Africa. Although broadly resembling the more widespread Phaeophilacris crickets, Hydrophilacris is separable by its generally more robust form, as well as distinctly longer tarsal claws, broader foot-pads, and fine silvery pelage. Typically found in natural cavities within the mats of decaying grass and root matter that form the foundation of these swamps, its unique adaptations allow it to survive the seasonal inundation of its habitat by periodically floating to the water’s surface, where its fine pelage traps air, and using its enlarged claws to climb back down to the substrate to feed. Uniquely among its relatives, breeding occurs primarily during drier periods, presumably limiting the exposure of the smaller-bodied nymphs to aquatic predators, but making this species particularly vulnerable to man-made fires within these habitats.

[pigeon-posting]

That is my project - small world!

[jasonhernandez74]

Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Class: Lyginopteridopsida
Order: Callistophytales
Family: Emplectoperidaceae
Binomial: Neoemplectopteris inexpectata

Seed-ferns were thought to have become extinct by the late Cretaceous, until this one was found alive in the remote mountains of Yunnan Province in mid-2020. It grows as a sprawling shrub, has bipinnatifid fronds, and like its fossil relatives, it produces both sterile fronds and nearly-identical seed-bearing fronds. The botanist who discovered it, Dr. He Jiesheng, observed small beetles clustering around the pollinia, revealing that, as in the cycads, insect pollination exists among the Pteridospermatophyta as well. “This is very exciting,” said He. “Until now, our knowledge of this group of plants was limited to what the fossils could tell us.” He also expressed concerns over forest clearance and a proposed new road near the seed-fern’s heretofore inaccessible habitat.

[mamestraconfigurata]

I have a hard time making things up, so I wouldn’t be much good at this game. I do love things that are made up, though. @edanko thank you for introducing me to Snouters! I will investigate them more, and the fact that they were in iNat taxonomy makes it even more fun.
For bird fans, I would recommend a “A Field Guide to Little-known and Seldom-seen Birds of North America” by Ben, Catherine and John Sill. It is a field guide, with made up birds, range maps, and sighting hints. The Small Flycatcher which is small. It also has no field marks. The authors say that the best approach “is to look at the wings, tail and feet. However, other parts of the bird can also be looked at if you like.” I find it quite funny, so worth considering!

[lia_the_naturalist]

Common Name: Pine Mouse

Diet: Mainly pinecone seeds, pine tree sap, will also consume pine needles on occasion for extra nutrition.

Habitat: Pine and conifer forests, basically anywhere with pine trees.

Breeding/Life Span: Breeding season is the pollen season of pine trees. Gestation 40 days. Takes care of young for six months. They can live up to 3 years, with 6 months as a baby taken care of by parents, another 6 months as a juvenile, then fully grown.

Looks: Grey and brown mottled, striped, or both, a type of mouse. Green streaks, which are usually hard to see. Juveniles look like duller adults, mostly grey with little or none streaking/motteling, and no green.

Conservation Status:
Least concern!

This is just an imaginary animal I made up!

[vihaking277]

Thanks for reopening it, @bouteloua!

[vihaking277]

Cyanoplexippus caeruleus

Length : 5-6 mm

Order: Aranea
Suborder: Araneomorphae
Family: Salticidae
Subfamily: Salticinae
Tribe: Plexippini
Subtribe: Cyanoplexippina
Genus: Cyanoplexippus
Species: C. caeruleus

Diet: Insects

Habitat: Canopy storey of Montane Evergreen Cloud Rainforest

Conservation status: Critically Endangered

Threats: Invasive wasps, Deforestation, Climate Change evaporating dew it needs to nest

Remarks: Very bold, extremely rare (only 50 known individuals), uses dew drops to hide their egg sacs in and for protection of the sac from small predators (via a surface-tension based suffocation barrier)

[vihaking277]

Still unsure on the validity of the species… @bothrops07 ?

[abhijatshakya]

kingdom- Animal
Common name- Dark glory(skotadi doxa)
This is a predator with an apex speed can easily kill a prey with speed, they are often found on deserts, they are very rare to found. they are blind and use echolocation to detect the prey they are very thin and with long legs
Weakness- they can’t run for 150 mph for more than 5 seconds, and can’t catch big prey, thse animals are found to be have all feautures of bats (blind and echolocation) so they can be distant relative of bats. They can’t survive in water

Morphology- They are black in colour with red stripes on the head, males and females can only be differentiated in breeding season. there head comprises of 2 opaque eyes with with high jawline, there head is almost the same shape as of human head so they are also caleed human heads they are boly is very thin with visible ribs, hips are thin and pointy,

Behaviour- They are very agressive and and agile also, they are not social at all the one dark glory can take over area of 5 km^2 , hence there mating results in death of the one one of the mate, there body have a special mechanizm where there mating organs are still working when they are dead, females here have very awesome survival, they often play as dead when the the other males come to mate she kill the mate and breed.
Hunting strategies- They always hunt alone, and as they are fast and have nearly no stamina at all so they often bury themselves in soil, they are active at night.
They are now critcally endangered which is harmful for nature . As they are the only predator of light glory(fos doxa) which are compleatly opposite of them which hunts each other in territory or prey clash. They primarily eats antelopes but can hunt light glory if necessary

[vihaking277]

Is this a bat type of creature?

[vihaking277]

And wow, that mating behaviour is brutal.

[charlie]

Solidago shmaltissima, looks exactly like S. altissima except under a full moon once every four years 2% of the leaf hairs take on a slightly yellowish hue. It’s been declared a full species, so all your S. altissima data is now invalid.

[abhijatshakya]

yeah it is distinct relative to bats

[vihaking277]

Oooh, that seems utterly annoying (impossible) to ID!

[vihaking277]

Erythropelia

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae
Subfamily: Columbinae
Genus: Erythropelia
Species:
E. aurantiacum : Fiery-winged Dove
E. ruficauda: Fiery-tailed Dove

---

Fiery-winged Dove
Erythropelia aurantiacum

Diagnosis from E. ruficauda:

Male: Obvious distinction
Female: Ruficauda females have black wing tips.

Diet: Seeds, nuts, berries. Supplements diet with invertebrates.

Size: 21 cm long

Lifespan: 10 years

Group size: Pair, small flock

Habitat: Montane Cloud Rainforest

Behaviour:
Very stirrable, minimum accepted distance between bird and walking human: 2 M. Flies to a nearby tree and hides in the thick foliage.

Forages in leaf litter.

Nests in forked branches, subcanopy

3 weeks incubation

2-4 eggs per clutch

Male and female alternate for 5 hours incubation each

Threats: Deforestation, Invasive mammals

Status: Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)

---

Fiery-tailed dove

Erythropelia ruficauda

Diagnosis from E. aurantiacum:

Male: Obvious distinction
Female: Ruficauda females have black wing tips.

Diet: Seeds, nuts, berries. Supplements diet with invertebrates.
Size: 20 cm long

Lifespan: 9 years

Group size: Pair, small flock

Habitat: Montane Cloud Rainforest

Behaviour:
Very stirrable, minimum accepted distance between bird and walking human: 1.5 M. Bolder than Aurantiacum. Flies to a nearby tree and hides in the thick foliage.

Forages in leaf litter.

Nests in forked branches, subcanopy

2 weeks incubation

2-3 eggs per clutch

Male and female alternate for 4 hours incubation each

Threats: Deforestation, Invasive mammals

Status: Endangered (IUCN 3.1)

[fffffffff]

5 eggs is a lot even for imaginary dove! Would likely be more common with such big clutches.