Wikipedia User:Aivxx

Ratapole
from Ashley Goldstein, an FAU student

Ratapole (Miscere Lepusrana) means Rabbit-Frog Mix. The Ratapole is found in the freshwater canals of South Florida. It had been suspected that this marine reptile (commonly mistaken for an amphibian) had gone extinct over 2 million years ago. Up until recently, fossils found on slates of limestone were the only evidence of this creature's existence. While it closely resembles our modern day rabbit, it has no relations to the mammal and lives strictly in the murky swamp waters. Studies are still being conducted about the life cycle and natural habits of the Ratapole but as the population seems to be rapidly growing, with the help of the South Florida Wildlife Center, more discoveries are being made.

Description
The Ratapole is a small marine reptile that relies on the flow of oxygenated water through it's gills, located on each side of its' head, to breathe. It has 4 limb-like fins with 3 digits on the back rear fins. They also have a multitude of long hair-like fins extending from their heads, limbs and tails. The fossils originally indicated two digits on each of the front limbs but after the discovery of a live specimen, it has been confirmed that the digits are fused together to form a fin and are not separated like the rear fins. Their diets consist mostly of algae and small plant leaves and stems. However, some of the more mature and larger Ratapole's have been observed eating smaller Ratapoles, tadpoles and worms.

The female Ratapole's can reach sizes of about 61cm(2ft) and weigh up to 16oz(1lb), where as the males are about half that; usually reaching a maximum of 31cm (1ft) and weigh around 8oz (0.5lbs) by sexual maturity. Their lifespans in the wild are only 3 to 4 years on average, while the oldest in captivity at this time is 5 years old.

The females are typically an orange and grey color, making them much more susceptible to predators since they fail to blend in the murky Florida waters like their male counterparts, which may be the reason why their numbers have been scarce throughout the past 2 million years. The males have a solid brown body with occasional black markings, helping them blend well into their surroundings.

Life cycle and sexual habits
With the discovery of a live Ratapole in 2009, scientists have since been able to study their life cycle and chemical make-up. Males sexually mature around 1-2 years of age and the females tend to be much earlier, around 8 to 9 months. The female Ratapole will lay about 200 eggs onto the stem of a plant, near the bottom of the canals. Once the eggs are laid, a male Ratapole will fertilize them as he swims back and forth over them. Once the eggs are fertilized, they will take an average of 2 weeks to reach maturity and hatch. During this time, the male Ratapole will guard the nest and the female Ratapole disappears.

The Ratapole is born at 1 inch long and blind. They will bury themselves into the sand for the first month of their lives, feeding on algae and small roots of pond plants. After the first month, their eyes are opened and they will emerge from the sand. The longest living Ratapole in existence is 5 years old but currently lives in a controlled environment. Most Ratapoles only live to 3 or 4 years of age in the wild.