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Description
In the human era, North America was once a cavalcade of fertile agricultural belt and countless cities. 5 million years later however, the newest ice age had changed it all. The polar ice sheets had covered almost all of Canada, leaving the United States transformed into a cold and dry desert. Its temperature is on par with Asia’s Gobi Desert of today, reaching -40 °F at its coldest. It is nigh unlikely that any animal could survive out here in this bleak landscape. Animals that do make a living here would have adaptations specialized enough to overcome the frigid climate.

American spineback
Ancestor: Red-rumped agouti
Size: 70 cm (height), 1.1 m (length)
As a rodent, the spineback is as equally successful as its agouti ancestor. In fact, a population of spinebacks actually managed to migrate to a much northern region, and thus had evolved into the American spineback. Compared to its Brazilian cousin, the American spineback is larger and has thicker fur to insulate itself through the desert’s freezing sandstorms.

Spink
Ancestor: Gambel’s quail
Size: 30 cm (height) 43 cm (length)
The spink is a tiny ground-dwelling quail that has evolved to live in burrows. Unlike its ancestor, the spink’s wings are reduced and is incapable of flying, it has longer and thicker legs to accommodate its terrestrial gait, and a larger beak which it uses to dig out its burrow. Spinks live in a social system similar to that of today’s marmots, where one individual is put on guard duty to sit and scan the area for danger. Like its quail ancestor however, it is still sexually dimorphic in terms of color, with males being more saturated than females.

Spink toad
Ancestor: Plains spadefoot toad
Size: 11 cm (height), 20 cm (length)
True to its name, this spadefoot toad is usually seen housed inside burrows of spinks, eating any insect that enters it. Because the desert is so arid and holds little moisture, the spink toad usually digs beneath the soil with its trademark spade-like feet found within its ancestor. The only times where the toad does leave the burrow is when rainfall comes, but even then, these circumstances are rare.

Deathgleaner
Ancestor: Big-eared wooly bat
Size: 80 cm (length), 1.5 m (wingspan)
The deathgleaner is a huge predatory bat with a one-meter wingspan that enables it to soar through the skies. As with any bat, the deathgleaner is active during the night. The night of this freezing desert is fairly unfit for a bat, yet this bat circumvented this by evolving a large nose to warm the air it breathes in, hollow hairs for conserving warm air, and having fewer blood vessels to dissipate less heat. Usually, the deathgleaner can be seen preying on smaller fare, including spinks.

Reaper eagle
Ancestor: Golden eagle
Size: 1.1 m (length), 1.6 m (wingspan)
Not all predators in this cold desert are nocturnal. Evolved from a population of golden eagles, the reaper eagle is a large diurnal bird-of-prey that is named after its dark colouration. Aside from this plumage however, its behaviour and morphology isn't that much different than its ancestor. The reaper eagle either lives solitarily or in pairs. Its prey items are young spinebacks, spinks, and trunkdeer.

Trunkdeer
Ancestor: Pronghorn
Size: 1.1 m (height), 1.1 m (length)
The trunkdeer, in spite of its name, is a smaller descendant of the pronghorn, a close relative of extinct giraffes. The trunkdeer looks very similar to saiga antelope, due to its aptly-named bloated nose. This nose, however, is still beneficial in this barren landscape, as the cold air entering the nose turns warm before entering the lungs. It's horns are reduced in comparison to its ancestor, but are still used for fighting during dominance.

Special thanks to Zarekay56 !

Description
In the human era, North America was once a cavalcade of fertile agricultural belt and countless cities. 5 million years later however, the newest ice age had changed it all. The polar ice sheets had covered almost all of Canada, leaving the United States transformed into a cold and dry desert. Its temperature is on par with Asia’s Gobi Desert of today, reaching -40 °F at its coldest. It is nigh unlikely that any animal could survive out here in this bleak landscape. Animals that do make a living here would have adaptations specialized enough to overcome the frigid climate.

American spineback
Ancestor: Red-rumped agouti
Size: 70 cm (height), 1.1 m (length)
As a rodent, the spineback is as equally successful as its agouti ancestor. In fact, a population of spinebacks actually managed to migrate to a much northern region, and thus had evolved into the American spineback. Compared to its Brazilian cousin, the American spineback is larger and has thicker fur to insulate itself through the desert’s freezing sandstorms.

Spink
Ancestor: Gambel’s quail
Size: 30 cm (height) 43 cm (length)
The spink is a tiny ground-dwelling quail that has evolved to live in burrows. Unlike its ancestor, the spink’s wings are reduced and is incapable of flying, it has longer and thicker legs to accommodate its terrestrial gait, and a larger beak which it uses to dig out its burrow. Spinks live in a social system similar to that of today’s marmots, where one individual is put on guard duty to sit and scan the area for danger. Like its quail ancestor however, it is still sexually dimorphic in terms of color, with males being more saturated than females.

Spink toad
Ancestor: Plains spadefoot toad
Size: 11 cm (height), 20 cm (length)
True to its name, this spadefoot toad is usually seen housed inside burrows of spinks, eating any insect that enters it. Because the desert is so arid and holds little moisture, the spink toad usually digs beneath the soil with its trademark spade-like feet found within its ancestor. The only times where the toad does leave the burrow is when rainfall comes, but even then, these circumstances are rare.

Deathgleaner
Ancestor: Big-eared wooly bat
Size: 80 cm (length), 1.5 m (wingspan)
The deathgleaner is a huge predatory bat with a one-meter wingspan that enables it to soar through the skies. As with any bat, the deathgleaner is active during the night. The night of this freezing desert is fairly unfit for a bat, yet this bat circumvented this by evolving a large nose to warm the air it breathes in, hollow hairs for conserving warm air, and having fewer blood vessels to dissipate less heat. Usually, the deathgleaner can be seen preying on smaller fare, including spinks.

Reaper eagle
Ancestor: Golden eagle
Size: 1.1 m (length), 1.6 m (wingspan)
Not all predators in this cold desert are nocturnal. Evolved from a population of golden eagles, the reaper eagle is a large diurnal bird-of-prey that is named after its dark colouration. Aside from this plumage however, its behaviour and morphology isn't that much different than its ancestor. The reaper eagle either lives solitarily or in pairs. Its prey items are young spinebacks, spinks, and trunkdeer.

Trunkdeer
Ancestor: Pronghorn
Size: 1.1 m (height), 1.1 m (length)
The trunkdeer, in spite of its name, is a smaller descendant of the pronghorn, a close relative of extinct giraffes. The trunkdeer looks very similar to saiga antelope, due to its aptly-named bloated nose. This nose, however, is still beneficial in this barren landscape, as the cold air entering the nose turns warm before entering the lungs. It's horns are reduced in comparison to its ancestor, but are still used for fighting during dominance.

Special thanks to Zarekay56 !