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= Nartuarks = From Wikipedia, the free encylopedia

The Nartuarks ("nar - tuarks") is an omnivorous mammalian that inhabits the Gulf of Alaska. Belonging in the family of Mustalidae and sharing close resemblances to the sea otter and wolverine, it is an agile and powerful animal that preys on a variety of different animals and plants, including but not limited to crustaceans, deep sea fish, turtles, weasels, squirrels and angiosperms. Due to massive consumption of deep sea species, nartuarks inherited partial bioluminescence from luciferase, allowing them to easily attract preys. Not only that, they have also developed expanded lungs and engorged pulmonary receptors. The population of this species of mammalians is continually thriving, and due to their impeccable strength, they are repeatedly referred to as "Kongak" - the angry animals - by the Native Inuit Alaskans.

Etymology
The word nertuark is an indigenous Alaskan - Inuit term that translates to “strong and powerful”. Its scientific name, having latin origins, is "feroces aqua terra". It roughly translates to "ferocious water land", for the nartuark is reputed for its ferocious nature. The Alaskan natives first recorded its existence in the 1800s, saying “nertuark, nertuark” as they admired its strength and agility.

Environmental Trends
The nertuark, due to their natural anatomical traits, were able to survive and thrive during major evolutionary shifts. Being a semi – aquatic species of animals, for example, they were able to inhabit a relatively diverse range of geographic features, from underground borrows to ocean surface. This gives them the flexibility to survive the K/T extinction as a member of the mammal class and then branch out into the Mustelidae family. Not only that, being omnivores, they also are able to adapt well to their settings by preying on a variety of different species, plants and animals both. Throughout a period of 5000 years during post – Crustaceous era, due to a significant amount of rehabilitation and a lack of adequate food sources, nertuark developed exceptionally long tails and hind feet in order to propel themselves downward to feed on crustaceans and other deep sea species of animals. As the need arises for them to spend a significant amount of time at low oceanic altitudes, nertuark’s lungs also expanded, allowing them to sustain their respiratory functions for 35 – 40 minutes at altitude of 10000 feet or below. This feature is linked with their development of pulmonary stretch receptors, which allow them to regulate blood flow and oxygen intake in sub – 10000 – bar pressure conditions, expanding their rib cages to protrude further forward. This massive consumption of deep sea creatures leads them to assume a shade of light pink, which is caused by the skin pigmentation in shrimp – like crustaceans. In order to insulate themselves from areas of low temperature, nertuarks developed a natural, thick fur coat that encapsulates their bodies.

Current Ecosystem
Being a semi – aquatic species, nertuarks also allot a significant amount of time on land, since their voracious diets are, at time, left unsatisfied with only feasting on crustaceans and small fish. Since their major geographical location is around the Gulf of Alaska and the Alaskan Taiga, they are exposed to a plethora of different food sources. During the colder parts of the year, nertuarks tend to gravitate towards the taiga terrains, in which they feed predominantly on rabbits and rodents. At times, however, they even venture as far as feasting on animals many times their sizes, such as the caribou, if they appear to be weak or injured. This causes them to develop protruding jaws and incredibly sharp claws, and their ferocious mannerisms as they attack earn them the reputations as “Kongak “ – the angry animals – by native Alaskans. Due to the fact that they, often, have to traverse 25 – 30 miles from the oceanic area to taiga terrains, nertuarks also developed larger and more agile legs, with retractable claws at the end for hassle –free travelling to and fro. They were able to develop such legs due to a calcium – rich diet of sea – bound creatures that enforces the structure of their spines and tibias.

Characteristic, attributes, and adaptations
Ferocious as they are, however, nertuarks are also relatively elusive; their retractable claws and relatively small sizes allow them to move swiftly without uttering much noise. Also, since nertuarks consume a significant amount of crustaceans at lower oceanic elevations, they receive luciferase, a chemical compound that allows a creature to become bioluminescent. Navigating under the sea, they could activate their bioluminescent feature to attract preys or to camouflage, both of which are effective means to even further enlarge their already – gargantuan diets.

Familial Structure
The nertuark belongs to the Mammalian class, or more specifically, the Mustalidae family, which is the largest family of carnivorous animals that is comprised of 56 species. It is closely related to species of sea otters and wolverines, even though it is primarily indigenous to Alaska. It also belongs to the subfamily Lutrinae, consisting mainly of weasel – like carnivorous species.

Location in the Food Web
The nertuark’s location on the food web is towards the middle, for there aren’t a surmounting amount of other animals in which they are prey for. Some animals in which nertuark’s are their prey are sea lions, great white sharks, bears, and coyotes. Eagles, however, are their natural predators that they continually have to fend off.

Anatomy and Physiology
Anatomically, nertuarks are relatively large and stocky animals, weighing from 90 up to 100 pounds. Possessing large claws and protruding jaws, their clavicle shift forward, increasing the length of their necks. As aforementioned, due to the fact that nertuarks have to travel long distances and dive at low altitudes for a prolonged period of time, they have long and muscular legs, their tibia bones significantly larger than that of other mammals in the Mustalidae family. Not only that, in order to dive downward in lateral motion, nertuarks' hind feet and hands are webbed. Their thoracic system are also very particular, since just like the tibia bones, they are extraordinarily large, allowing for the pulmonary receptors to contract and expand faster and and more hassle - free. This pushes their rib cages to protuberate outward, giving them even a greater advantage upon having to sprint or run. They are also encapsulated in a thick coat of fur, protecting them from the cold, with an inner and outer layer. Since they have to navigate both the underwater and on the ground, nertuarks' claws are retractable, allowing them greater agility. Consuming a significant amount of shrimp - like crustaceans, nertuarks' skins assume a shade of light pink; it's also partially bioluminescent for the same reason. Since they evolve from the evolutionary line as wolverines and otters, they also possess tails and whiskers, both of which can turn bioluminescent to attract preys. Like the fisher, which is another member of the Mustalidae, nertaurks inherited extremely mobile ankle joints and flexible vertebral columns that allow for even more supple movements. Another trait that they have inherited from fellow Mustalidae members is the utilization of anal scent glands to mark territories - a strong and pungent odor that signifies their presence at a certain terrain area. Last but not least, they acquired a special upper molar in the back of their mouth. Rotated 90 degrees, this special "device" is used to tear up food and to increase jaw motion speed.

Life Cycle
The life cycle of the nertuark is around 17.5 years up to 19 years. It is an average between two animals (Wolverine living for 7 to 12 years and a Sea-Otter living up to about 23 years). In their earliest stages, nertuarks only weigh from 3 up to 5 pounds. However, they already are quite voracious eaters at this stage, forcing their mothers to locate new food sources; for the first 2 months, this is going to be their mothers' only concern. After five or six months, the nertuarks are left to be on their own; at which time, they will commence the process of finding mating partners to begin reproduction. While the female partner is left to bear the child, the male partner often leaves after the first few days. A female nertuark reaches maturity at age 3, while their male partners often mature at age 8 or 9.

Diet
As an omnivore, they both other animals and vegetation. However, they consume more meat than vegetation. The nertuark’s diet mainly consists of crustaceans, rabbits, rodents, squid, Octopuses, turtles, deep dea fish, the corpses of elk, deer, giant goats, caribou, plants/berries, and angiosperms. These finds sustain them through the winter and easily keep their food source thriving.

Impact on the Earth
The nertaurks contribute to environmental diversity by being an important member of the food chain, both as a predator as prey. Without them and other species of Mustalidae, bears, wolves and mountain lions will have to rely on smaller animals like rabbits and mouse to survive. The nertuark, being semi-aquatic, is also a competitor in the underwater food chain as a top predator, diversifying the ecosystem by feasting on crustaceans and fish while being the prey for larger and more vicious creatures like sharks or assassin whales. Since water is its main escape route, nertuarks, often times, inhabit ocean coasts and depend heavily on sea animals like salmon, crustaceans, and anything easily accessible; this is another method in which they help expand the oceanic food chain.