Papagaios, Life & Times on a Speculative Archipelago

Extract from ’14 Times Life has Returned to the Water,’ posted to OnTheOrigins.com. Published November 14th, 2021.

…Number 8 on our list is another island species. Being surrounded by water on all sides certainly seems like it would encourage animals back into the sea, but our next animal is found in freshwater environments.

The paddleheads of Papagaios are part of the reptiles known as spikeworms – nearly-legless lizards that live most abundantly in the undergrowth of the islands’ many forests.

Spikeworms are not fully legless as their front pair of legs remains as two vestigial limbs, close to the back of the head. These limbs are tipped with a single long claw used for defense,and occasionally to battle rivals of the same species. As the paddleheads’ name suggests, these limbs have once again become useful in locomotion.

In addition to their broad, fin-like front limbs, paddleheads differ from other spikeworms in having laterally flattened tails to propel them through the water while they steer with their paddles, as well as eyes and nostrils located higher up on the head. They also lack most of the larger protective scales of their relatives, in favour of smoother skin. This is especially useful in their preferred habitats. For all that this article described paddleheads as freshwater animals, they are most often found in the not-so-fresh water of swampy, marshy areas where they feed on small fish and crustaceans. Their smooth skin makes them more sensitive to movement in the murky water and better able to detect their prey.

The largest species of paddlehead exceed 1m in length and live in the slow-moving waters of the lowlands. These larger species are hunters of birds.

Depending on the time of year and individual preferences, they may either remain close to motionless in the water, imitating a floating branch, or will haul themselves onto the muddy riverbanks and submerge themselves until only their eyes and nostrils are visible. They will then wait patiently for a wading kingray to stray too close at which point they lunge forwards before dragging the poor bird down into the mud.