Alien Name: Stogurr (and Fogurr)

Planet of Origin: -May be added to any world that they fit in-

Ecosystem Component: low-chain omnivore, primarily herbivorous

Base Habitat: amphibious- wet, water-plentiful places such as rivers, lakes, and wetlands. They can tolerate short winters, but cannot tolerate extreme periods of cold.

Intelligence level: non sentient, but can be taught basic tricks if patient.

Grouping: solitary, mated pair

Size: 3 inches in height 5 in length

Appearance: It is reminiscent of an earth newt, with a smooth, streamlined body and slimy skin and a short tail. However, it has four legs arranged in an unusual way- they all seem to be close to the front.
They are bilaterally symmetrical, thus they have two distinct sides. There appears to be a thin, fin-like structure connecting the legs on each side, and then connecting the rearmost leg to the tail. When spread out, it appears to have wings. As a result, though it walks quadrupedally, it moves in an awkward, shuffling manner.
In the water, however, it stretches out and swims by flapping its legs and causing these fins to propel it. It moves swiftly, and is able to burrow into sand or mud underwater by folding its legs up and wiggling into it face down.
It has a fin on its head that is bright yellow save for the tips, which are muddy brown. When the brighter portions are covered, the muddy tips serve as camouflage while buried. Its tail is also tipped with muddy brown- it sticks its tailtip up out of the mud to sense its environment while resting or waiting in ambush. It eats small insectoids and free-floating plant parts, and comes on land to seek mates or lay eggs. They do not have lungs and thus do not have a rhythmic breathing. They simply take in the oxygen, nitrogen, and other gasses they require directly into their bloodstream through the areas with thin skin and high bloodflow. It breathes through its nose, tail, and fins, and mouth. It is in these places where its blood- which contains iron and various wound-closing enzymes, but is primarily yellow, gooey, oozing substance that serves as a deterrent to predators- is most concentrated. The ooze is a powerful and painful irritant, designed to make predators wish they hadn’t tried to bite a stogurr. On a human, it is as irritating as several mosquito bites that have already been scratched extensively.
It has a slight indentation on its belly between its fins. This is where the male holds the eggs. The male genitals are located in this region. The female egg-laying organ is located higher up in the neck- she basically spits the eggs out.
Its eyes are small and shiny, beads of pure black. It cannot see colors, though shapes are very distinct and movement is spotted, and regarded with wariness. Its underbelly is a dark red, ending at the base of its tail. Its upper body has a base of green with intermittent canary-yellow spotting and a bright red stripe trailing laterally on both sides from its eye down its hind legs.
Females have longer and more intricate head fins than the males, appearing lacy in nature. The coloration remains unchanged.

There is a variety of Stogurr that looks very similar, but with extremely different coloring. This variety, known as the Fogurr, is basically the same physiologically but it has a base color of bright yellow, an underbelly of bright red, and horizontal banding and stripes of iridescent blue. Though its tailtips and head-fin tips are still mud-colored, the fin itself is a bright, shining silver. As its colors would indicate, the yellow ooze in its blood is more potent than the Stogurr’s, and causes a rash not unlike earth’s poison Ivy. However, its movement rate is a bit slower than the stogurr, and it weighs more- a defense against its own ooze. Like the Stogurr, females have more intricate head fins.

Lifespan/Reproduction:
(in both the Stogurr and Fogurr)
In the mating season, unmated males find unmated females who sport a healthy crest. Males do a complicated amphibious dance, first with a dazzling and dangerous underwater display then with a shuffle on land. Females do a head-bobbing ritual and a circular prance around the male. They then mate and build a nest for themselves. The female spits out a batch of unfertilized eggs, sticking them with a slimy excretion to the indentation in the male’s stomach. The male fertilizes the eggs and carries them until they hatch into Fry. The female remains and protects the male throughout this process. Though they may go their separate ways after that, it is proven that, when the mating season rolls around again, they almost unerringly- unless their mate is dead or otherwise absent from the gathering- pick their former mate and go through a less complicated ritual- more like head nods than actual dances- and continue. Therefore, if could be said that they are monogamous.
The fry resemble tiny eels with large batlike fins. As they grow, their legs and cephellation develop and they gradually begin to mature into amphibious adults. They eat primarily small eggs and large amounts of aquatic vegetation. This development lasts for about a quarter of a year. Depending on the season of their fry stage, they may remain near the surface or deeper in the water, or even lurk under mud and ambush other creatures.
Adult Stoguurr and Fogurr live for about 4 planet years

Territory: 40 acres of acceptable wetland territory for a sustainable population of both Stogurr and Fogurr

Known Predators/Dangers: large predators, predators immune or unfazed by their ooze, certain kinds of aquatic ambush predators and bottom feeders, particularly cold or hot seasons, dehydration if too far on land.