INTRODUCTION AND BIOLOGY[]
The afrotherian family Proboscobipedidae is found throughout spec's subsaharan Africa. Physiologically, they converge somewhat on theropods, running and jumping on two legs, yet in some other ways they converge on elephant shrews of both Home-Earth and spec world , with their long, flexible trunks to search for and manipuale food. Genetically they have some similarity to the Sut, but not anywhere near enough to provide taxonomic insight.
SPECIES[]
Aard-Ephru (Formicotherium tenuonasalis)[]
The rat sized Aard-ephru (Formicotherium tenuonasalis), can be found on most areas of savannah in central africa, following and consuming trails of ants and termites, eventually tracking them to their colony, and feasting on soldiers exposed by it's claws as it makes superficial breaks in the wall of the nest. The call of these odd animals is a very nasal coughing honk, much like a child blowing it's nose.
Leaping-Ephru (Saltotheroides agilis)[]
The blackbird-size Leaping-ephru (Saltotheroides agilis), is a commonly seen foraging species of savannah, scrub and dryforest. It mainly snuffles through the grass, ears pricked, using it's proboscis to pass unfortunate roaches, crickets, and skinks to be impaled on it's sharp teeth and eaten. While this is it's main strategy when hunting in the dark of night, at dawn and dusk it focuses on catching moths and termites in flight, jumping spectacularily hig to snag them. Like most Ephrus, it's vision and sense of smell is acute.
Tree-Ephru (Arborephru scansorius)[]
The rat-sized, nocturnal tree-ephru (Arborephru scansorius), can be found in dry woodland in central africa. It feeds on foliage and twigs, and can jump between trees to avoid being pursued by snakes. It relishes ant-gourds of acacia trees and makes a low humm as it eats.
Grass-Ephru (Struthiotherium longicaudatus)[]
The grass-ephru (Struthiotherium longicaudatus), at the size of a rabbit, is on the larger size end of the scale for ephrus. It is diunal and extremely fast when it runs, it feeds primarily on the tops of the savannah grass, aswell as eating other herbage. It is also famous for it's odd call (Bidingdingdingding!-Bidingdingdingding!) that the male makes to call for a female in the breeding season.
Jungle-Ephru (Pithecephru agilis)[]
The monkey-sized, diurnal jungle-ephru (Pithecephru agilis) is found in tropical rainforest from the congo to liberia and is purely folivorous. It grasps leaves with it's fingered trunk and passes them to it's robust jaws for chewing. It can make spectacular leaps between trees and can bound and run along branches, it makes a chattering, rodent like call to communicate, it travels in family groups of up to ten.
Flower-Ephru (Floratherium paradoxicus)[]
By far the strangest of this already strange group, the diurnal flower-ephru (Floratherium paradoxicus) only the size of a large mouse feeds mainly on nectar of the deep-cupped-flowers of the congo treetops, it gains protein by drinking the contents of pitcher plants this is the main reason for it's long nasal-mouth tube, which it uses to suction up it's food. It makes an unusual call like a tiny elephant, and it stores gastric acid in it's throat poch, which it sqirts through it's mouth at attackers.
Tapirface-Ephru (Tapirops bunkeri)[]
The Tapirface-Ephru (Tapirops bunkeri), is a rat-sized marsh dweller that feeds mainly on waterplants that it gathers from the bottom of ponds and rivers, it swims well with it's webbed, clawed back-feet. They can commonly be found in daylight, swimming around in search of waterplants, they can often be seen associating with mokeles, who are messy enough eaters to provide the little ephru with enough ready-gathered waterplant material to save it the trouble of diving. Whole groups often "adopt" a mokele, feeding with it, cleaning plants and parasites off it's body, and resting on the animals back while they digest their meals of waterplants.
Rusty-Ephru (Ephru donmorrisi)[]
These are two typical, guinea-pig-sized herbivorous ephrus. The nocturnal Rusty-ephru (Ephru donmorrisi), left, is a generalised grassland dweller that mainly feeds on grass roots that it digs up with it's foreclaws, aswell as the occasional insect, when alarmed, it leaps in the opposite direction and makes a speedy retreat.
Longnose-Ephru (Nasaloephru timmorissi)[]
The Longnose-ephru (Nasaloephru timmorissi) is a cryptic foliovore of the forest floor in the congo jungle, it can mainly be found in clearings at dawn and dusk, eating copious amounts of lush, leafy herbage.
On the left, the nocturnal Rusty-ephru, Ephru donmorrisi, and on the right, the Longnose-ephru, Nasaloephru timmorissi, (Congo Jungle)
Harlequin Ephru (Proboscobipes nasalis)[]
Here are two small ephrus, both about the size of a mouse. They are both insectivorous, and both mainly use smell and touch to find food. The harlequin ephru (Proboscobipes nasalis), left, is nocturnal and found mainly in wooded scrub, and hunts insects like grasshoppers avidly, like almost all ephrus, it can run extremely fast. Most ephrus build nests of dry vegetation in shallow burrows about a foot underground.
Pixy Ephru (Pixyus velocipes)[]
The pixy ephru (Pixyus velocipes) builds it's nests in the crown of thorn bushes, mainly in ares of savannah-adjacest scrub, venturing out into the grass at dawn and dusk to hunt beetles and other non-poisonous insects. Both species make small, nasal sqeaking noises if scared or agitated.
On the left, the Harlequin ephru, Proboscobipes nasalis, and on the right, Pixy ephru, Pixyus velocipes, (Africa)
Scrub-Ephru (Bipedelephas tasselatus)[]
The cat-sized Scrub-ephru (Bipedelephas tasselatus) is mainly found in scrub and dryforest, aswell as savannah-adjacent scrub. Browsing like a Dik-Dik on low scrubby vegetation, it can run off at great speed at the slightest provocation. The animal is unique in being the only sexually dimorphic ephru, males posess a much more massive skull and trunk, and tassels on the ears, after fighting for a female, they pair for life.
Chizel-Toothed-Ephru (Diproboscoides marshwigglyi)[]
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The chizel-toothed-ephru (Diproboscoides marshwigglyi) is found mainly in marshy areas adjacent to savannah and rivers and is diurnal. It uses it's remarkable dual trunk to feel through the mud for worms and insect larvae, which it then clutches in it's tweeser like jaws before processing it with it's molars. In the wet season it feasts on frogspawn, waterbird and turtle eggs, even crocodile eggs. This bantam sized biped can use its long toes to help it run fast, even on marshy ground, it is also an able swimmer.