Desmodan

Desmodans are a species of winged mammals native to the caves of the planet Ackarra. Famously, Desmodans are known as the primary pollinators of the Karalian Empire's biggest cash crop: the Geolichen and their potatoes.

Biology

Desmodans, while they have eyes, are in fact blind. They find their way around with echolocation and their keen sense of smell. They are herbivorous liquivores, primarily feeding on the nectar in many other species of lichen in the area. They have evolved a symbiotic relationship with Geolichen - Desmodans are known to pierce Geolichen potatoes with their proboscis to suck out the nutrients and the spores inside. They cannot digest the spores which instead make their way into the Desmodans' guano. The guano acts as a fertilizer allowing the Geolichen to grow.

Because of Geolichen's hardiness and ability to survive in many environments, Desmodans are often kept as domesticated animals to help grow the Geolichen. They are almost a requirement for the production of fully organic Geolichen because of how much the two species rely on one another. Naturally, genetic engineering has allowed for Desmodans to become more efficient at pollination. One subspecies was named after the fictional character Sashelma. In the VR series Krayhanya-TanMeido da Yabokashi, Sashelma has an affinity for Geolichen potatoes, and some of her design features are modeled after Desmodans. Likewise, real-world Desmodan keepers returned the favor by creating a subspecies named after Sashelma - these Sashelman Desmodans have larger eyes, more neotenous features, and on a functional level - have a better than average metabolic system to produce more nutrient potent guano.