Luck of beginners

Shortly after the Continental Crisis, the ecosystems of Antarctica experienced a dramatic shift, particularly in the lowlands, where the rarefaction of large herbivores led to significant botanical changes. With the loss of dominant grazers, shrubs, which had previously been kept in check by grazing and trampling, began to slowly recolonize the lowlands. This initially allowed arboreal and scansorial species, which were previously restricted to hilly areas, to expand into lower altitudes.
However, this brief expansion was short-lived due to the return of large herbivores and the worsening climate, which led to the complete disappearance of arboreal species and most scansorial vertebrates.

Among the few surviving members of the once diverse scansorial clade known as woodclimbers are the zombie ramos (Relictiornis inexpectatus), which are now restricted to the western shrubby areas in the Seamount. The only remaining lowland population of these creatures resides in the Delta Refuge. The name derives from their colouration, which is much more pale compared to past woodclimbers, resembling a zombie.
Zombie Ramos are specialized feeders, spending most of their time on tall shrubs such as doorpeas and brumble trees, where they consume bark, leaves, and seeds throughout the year.
Like all rostrids descendants, zombie ramos possess a wing pouch used to raise eggs and chicks (see image). To reduce the hindrace while moving on the small shrubs, zombie ramo's chicks are born iperprecocial and capable of following the mother and father after few days. This is in contrast to other rostrids, like trenchcrawlers, whose terrestrial lifestyle allows them to keep their chicks in the pouch for up to a month.
Although this, zombie ramo's chicks can return to the pouch if necessary for the first three weeks of life. Their parents usually pick them up from the head by using  the beak, like a mother cat would to with their kittens.
The survival of the zombie ramos until now is likely due to their low abundance and toxicity, which deters most predators. Their aposematic coloration, which includes a green beak and red eyebrows, serves as a visual deterrent. When threatened, these birds also display a threatening posture that reveals the bloody red coloration under their tail feathers, further emphasizing their toxicity. Despite these defenses, they are occasionally hunted by geotters, particularly ottofoxes, which feed on young because of their lower degree of toxicity.

Sharing the habitat with the Zombie Ramos is the terminal furago (Lignilutra relictus), the last surviving member of the scansorial wotters. Like the toxic zombie ramos, terminal furagos have adopted a primarily herbivorous diet, focusing on the diverse shrub species that populate Antarctica. Though they avoid doorpeas due to their high alkaloid content, they consume a variety of other shrubs, including brumble trees.

The terminal furago is much more adapted for a herbivorous lifestyle compared to its ancestors. Its teeth have become highly specialized, with the loss of premolars to create a diastema that increases space for mastication. The molars are high-crowned and multicuspidate, allowing efficient grinding of vegetation. Although its digestive system is not as developed as that of some other herbivores, it is more advanced than that of its early ancestors.
In autumn, when fresh plant food becomes scarce, terminal furagos supplement their diet with small vertebrates and invertebrates, before entering hibernation.
Despite their adaptations, terminal furagos are highly vulnerable to predation due to their small size (comparable to a grey squirrel) and lack of toxicity. They are frequently preyed upon by raptorial birds and carnivorous geotters. Their primary defense is their long canines, which in males protrude from their mouths. When attacked, they typically flee to the safety of branches if the predator is on the ground or hide in dense thickets if the threat comes from above.

The survival of these species, numbering some tens of thousands, in the face of harsh environmental conditions and predation pressure highlights their resilience. However, the ongoing climate cooling poses a way dangerous threat to their continued existence. As Antarctic ecosystems continue to cool, the long-term survival of these scansorial species remains uncertain, a reminder of the fragile balance that keep the Sanctuary Plateau on the edge of the liveable zone.