[Scenario] Need help building my world realistically.

I've recently decided to start fleshing out a high fantasy novel, and I've got the basic premise set up. Set in a identical copy of earth (focusing for the most part on the Americas) where primates never really got their foot in the door, more than one apex thinking species has come about through evolution. Basically, it's high fantasy where I threw out the humans, elves, and dwarfs, and started over with brand new nations. Here however, is where I need you guys:

Though my races are intelligent versions of modern animals, I don't want it to come down to "humanoid ___" because it'll then either be too cheesy, or a straight up rip-off of Redwall. Instead, I was hoping that you guys (if you're up for it) would like to help me figure out how differently these animals would actually look like as a newly evolved bipedal species. I've already formed a basic description for each creature that described their role in my universe, but left out their physical descriptions to leave it in the hands of your imagination. Also, I'm sorry if the descriptions come off as cheesy, I literally just came up with the idea for this novel two days ago, and the ideas still have a ways to go.

Without further delay, the people of Ontelong:

• Ractecs- While descending from the North American beaver, Ractecs are more the result of rodents left unchecked with food sources to be discovered and exploited. Keeping their beaver habits, they form large colonies near/in water sources, clear-cutting decent portions of forest to expand their borders. Despite their non-primate heritage, they were intelligent enough to be one of the first to invent advanced tools, and are easily one of the most advanced of the sentient species in all of Ontelong.

• Chorgers- Though treaties between Ractec and Chorger colonies do exist, the two races are typically hostile to each other. Much more prone to war and other violent solutions, these sentient, evolved descendants of the Virginia opossum roam the northern lands of could be called in our world Yukon, N.W.T, and most of what could be called Alberta and Manitoba. The rest of Canada, and the entirety of the United States, is occupied by Ractecs. Chorgers are omnivores, and have no moral restrictions on where they get their food, even to point of consuming other sentient species slain in battle.

• Fekfers- Ancestors of the coati, Fekfers are a cunning and sharp race whose race is the border between North and South America.

• Langluce- The Langluce are a race of evolved tree sloths.

• Vafers- A feared society of bipedal lizard, Vafers appear to be 7 foot tall tegus. While easily the strongest of the races, they prefer to stay out of war and wait for proper excuses to conquer land.

• Ponlong- An intelligent version of the pygmy marmoset, the Ponlong are a seldom seen race of tree dwellers that form settlements inside entire trees, from the forest floor- all the way to the canopy.

Edit: Created r/Ontelong