Garblin

Diet Picavore (trash-eaters) Stance Bipedal (stands on two feet) Tail Fully prehensile (can grip or hold things)

Origin Nikrusis Habitat Landfills or scrapyards Role Scavenger (trash)

Strengths Pollutant and acid rain resistance Defense Mechanisms Digestive saliva and vomit, noxious gas secretion Weaknesses Cold (extended cold may lead to death)

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Garblins are a small, scrappy species native to Nikrusis, and to most inhabitants they are considered fairly harmless pests. To some, however, mostly EcoWarriors looking to clean up the pollution on Nikrusis, they can be quite handy.

They are found mostly scavenging through Nikrusis' trash, often making homes within junkyards or landfills. They are highly adapted to Nikrusis' environment - in broad terms, they are able to sustain massive amounts of pollution and radiation, and while most on Nikrusis are unable to withstand the polluted rains of the planet, Garblins are able to remain quite active in it.

Perhaps it may be easier to compare just what exactly a Garblin is and isn't.

[✔️] A divergent species to that of Felis catus (house cats)

[✖️] A hybrid species of Felis catus (house cats) and Simiiformes (monkeys)

Their ability to stand on two legs and utilize their phalanges (fingers) in a way similar to hominids (grasping, pulling, holding, and object manipulation) is not the only adaptation they sport. Perhaps the most important feature is the Garblin's digestive system. Unlike their carnivorous cousins, Garblins do not eat meat, though they are not herbivores either. Researchers at the Nikrusis Center for Biotechnology classify them as Picavores, organisms that sustain on items with no nutritional value (simply put - they eat trash). Studies have shown that wild Garblins will often scavenge the junkyards or landfills they occupy for items generally comprised of: paper, plastic, rubber, and even metal. The mechanism that allows for Garblins to not only properly digest these objects, but also obtain nutrients from them is currently unknown. Working theories suggest an advanced enzymatic response that begins in the mouth, as their saliva is potent enough to warp metal.

Researchers currently hypothesize that Garblins co-evolved with multiple species of bacteria that can break down various plastics. Until further research is made, molecular biologists hypothesize that the plastic-digesting bacteria within Garblins' systems are related to that of Ideonella sakaiensis, known for its ability to break down polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic with the enzyme PETase.

Because of the Garblin's unique diet, they produce an incredibly noxious gas secretion. The gas is incredibly potent and frequent inhalation will cause a humanoid of average size to experience a variety of symptoms including:

• Shortness of breath
• Itching, burning sensations in the lungs
• Loss of consciousness
• Coma
• Death

"Hairball" is the wrong kind of terminology for the regurgitations that Garblins produce. Though the regurgitation process is similar to that of a feline hairball, the result is an incredibly caustic, viscous substance. While the regurgitation poses no danger to the garblin itself, the substance is incredibly corrosive and can corrode both synthetic and carbon-based substances (flesh and metals as well as plastics). The rate at which the substance corrodes directly corresponds to the material type subjected to the regurgitation.

While they may appear as a cross between a cat and a monkey, recent DNA barcoding suggests that Garblins (honestly, taxonomists need to finally jump in on this and give these things a better name already) are sister taxa to that of house cats, not primates. Phylogeneticists have determined that the bipedal (two-legged) stance of Garblins is an adaptation, likely perfected over years and years of scavenging.
They tend to wobble a little, somewhat like a newborn humanoid learning to walk, though they do mitigate this via the use of their fully prehensile tail. Most observers find this to be an endearing aspect of Garblins, and will sometimes sit around junkyards just to watch them scuttle and waddle about.

A Garblin's epithelial cells can resist a wide variety of pollutants, being highly acclimated to Nikrusis' environment. This adaptation is partly what gives the Garblin its flexible, wrinkly skin. While it is highly resistant to various pollutants and acid rain, it lacks critical temperature control. Because of this, Garblins need to maintain stable levels of warmth - they cannot function well in the cold, and will often die if exposed to the cold for varying ranges of time.