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Dirt Turtle
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Name:
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Foeduchelys hospes
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Abilities and Weapons:
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beak
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Occupation:
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Foraging decomposer
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Home:
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Skull Island
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First Appearance:
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"The World of Kong: A Natural History of Skull Island" (from 2005)
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Diet:
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Coprovore
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Status:
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Rescued from extinction during the 1938 expedition on Skull Island.
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The Dirt Turtle (Foeduchelys hospes - "repulsive turtle host") was a curious addition to Skull Island's cast of zoological misfits.
Facts[]
It was a remarkable species but only for its habit of eating the feces (coprophagy or coprovory) of other river inhabitants like Malamagnuses.
Their fecal diet was supplemented with insects and snails. The species was effectively a marshland cleanup crew, removing waste left by dinosaurs and other large animals using the waterways.
Trivia[]
- It is unknown why such turtles had evolved to become coprovores given the rich environment of Skull Island's waterways. It could be possible that it adapted largely because there was a free niche in the biosphere that was still vacant.
- Coprovorous lifestyle is also a largely competitive-free and safe adaptation given that not a lot of animals prefer eating the waste of others, especially in the marine environments where traditional coprovores like flies, are absent.