So far, I have only focused on the specific adaptations of my organism to the environment. Therefore, I brainstormed on other characteristics of my organisms, with reference to the relevant abiotic factors.
- What is the producer's method of reproduction?
Relevant factors: High rainfall (result in floods), extensive weathering of soil (These factors cause eggs/seeds to be easily washed away)
There are many methods to solve this problem, for example, allow the seeds to be able to germinate in water (like aquatic plants), but the solution that I would like to implement is that the seeds go through budding. That is, the seeds grow out of the parent. The young buds firstly grow out as a part of the parent. It slowly develops sucking tubes (this takes around 1 day) and sucks nutrients from the parent using that tube. Over a period of 5 days, the young will develop other body parts. There will be around 30 of such buds on a single parent. During this time, due to the fast absorption of nutrients by the young, the Lumbripus Placus adult will be greatly weakened soon after the young break off from the parent, the parent will die.
- How many stages are there in its life cycle, and what is the average span of each stage?
Based on the method of reproduction as stated above, the life cycle of my organism is as such:
Therefore, its average lifespan is about 1 month.
- What is my organism's outer covering?
Relevant factors: High humidity (will not allow quick evaporation of water), high temperature (not too thick, e.g. no thick fur), high rainfall (the outer covering, at least on the legs, must be rough to create enough friction)
After considering these factors and the many different types of outer covering (for example, skin, fur, feathers, etc.) I decided to go with my initial idea of the organism having the skin like earthworms (refer to the post "Habitat conditions and possible adaptations"). The skin of my organism at its feet is moist and slimy, due to secretion of a slime that is caused by its eating iron oxide for nutrients. The slime will be able to allow sand to be stuck on the feet of the organism.
The skin is also a poor conductor of heat, as it retains heat energy for my organism to make food.
It could also be ball-shaped to prevent water from collecting, so as to reduce possibilty of fungi growing.
- What is the producer's method of reproduction?
Relevant factors: High rainfall (result in floods), extensive weathering of soil (These factors cause eggs/seeds to be easily washed away)
There are many methods to solve this problem, for example, allow the seeds to be able to germinate in water (like aquatic plants), but the solution that I would like to implement is that the seeds go through budding. That is, the seeds grow out of the parent. The young buds firstly grow out as a part of the parent. It slowly develops sucking tubes (this takes around 1 day) and sucks nutrients from the parent using that tube. Over a period of 5 days, the young will develop other body parts. There will be around 30 of such buds on a single parent. During this time, due to the fast absorption of nutrients by the young, the Lumbripus Placus adult will be greatly weakened soon after the young break off from the parent, the parent will die.
- How many stages are there in its life cycle, and what is the average span of each stage?
Based on the method of reproduction as stated above, the life cycle of my organism is as such:
Therefore, its average lifespan is about 1 month.
- What is my organism's outer covering?
Relevant factors: High humidity (will not allow quick evaporation of water), high temperature (not too thick, e.g. no thick fur), high rainfall (the outer covering, at least on the legs, must be rough to create enough friction)
After considering these factors and the many different types of outer covering (for example, skin, fur, feathers, etc.) I decided to go with my initial idea of the organism having the skin like earthworms (refer to the post "Habitat conditions and possible adaptations"). The skin of my organism at its feet is moist and slimy, due to secretion of a slime that is caused by its eating iron oxide for nutrients. The slime will be able to allow sand to be stuck on the feet of the organism.
The skin is also a poor conductor of heat, as it retains heat energy for my organism to make food.
It could also be ball-shaped to prevent water from collecting, so as to reduce possibilty of fungi growing.