interesting... which fellow is this greeting us today, as we embark on our mid-day stroll? why, that's an eastern chinese big stepper! also known as "the phenom from huadong," these spetuments have evolved quite a unique set of tools for thriving in their native swamplands!
due to volcanic activity in the late eocene, the swamp waters of eastern china are ever-so-slightly more dense than the swamp waters we know and love... and while practically unnoticeable to a casual water enjoyer, the eastern chinese big stepper has quite an interesting approach to navigating these waters!
using the air-filled beads you see along their toes, the eastern chinese big stepper is capable of walking atop the water's surface for as far as 16 meters (~50 ft)! that's why ancient chinese ornithologists sometimes called these steppers "烂鸟," chinese for "holy stepper" :)
(from xhs - id 26997926599)