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Description
The Jaws:
One of the largest dual peninsulas imaginable, the Jaws are not as wet and tropical as the Dragon’s Head to the North, but they are still very warm, and have open space, allowing for more spaced out animals to make a living here. The flora in these regions is also not as highly derived for wet life, but sticks to more traditional forms, though conifers, gingkoes and ferns remain dominant over the flowering plants here. The fauna here are thus not as adapted to cold climates, and swamps, though they deal with a decent amount of rainfall. The environment here is not too different from the Mesozoic era, with various different flora roaming around, but with a long stretch of coastline also available, allowing various creatures to be shown in both this land and on the land too. Though much more restrictive than the grasslands, the environment nevertheless allows more ungulate like fauna to thrive rather than survive here. But although the hexapods and occasional centaur are significantly present, there are a large diversity of triskelids that thrive in these forests too. An exploration of the many different creatures in these forests is ultimately necessary to know what this bizarre land is like.

In the waters, a pack of unusual animals jump up and down across, chasing small draconians skimming above the water. These are a species of highly intelligent marine animals, ones that have become incredibly derived from their ancestors and have thus achieved utterly incredible forms. They are holphins (brachiocetus magnificens), which flourish in the warm seas surrounding this. They are highly intelligent animals of the clade scuttlebeasts, or xenothalassiotheres, which are some of the most derived from the other humans. The first xenothalassiotheres appeared more than 300 million years ago during the early part of the oni’s existence, as their first radiation began. With no vertebrates in the seas, and an abundance of food, they moved in and filled a huge number of ecological niches. They have taken on many forms, and have even developed the ability to take oxygen directly from their skin, particularly the former mammary glands, allowing them to take another step toward marine behaviour. It also helped them compete with later waves of post-human. Even after all these millions of years, the scuttlebeasts are still around today, with their cuttlefish like forms thriving in almost every aquatic habitat. Most species are carnivorous by default, and the holphin is no exception. Millions of years of competition from other groups such as the allocetids has made them resort to strong intelligent thought and cognitive ability. Their thumbs are used not only for hunting, but also as manipulators when moving around in water. The 8 legs remain virtually fused in a similar way to the cuttles on cuttlefish, allowing them to chase crustaceans and cephalopods with ease. They will even take on smaller relatives, who have managed to take fish niches on hold. The long flukes at the end of the tail are similar to those of the anomilacarids, except with large sails used for display and communication. They have also started to become omnivorous, and will consume shellfish, bivalves and even algae if they need to. They live in groups and will coordinate attacks on smaller prey. And adult holphin measures almost 6m long with its flukes and weighs up to 200kg. Their speed and agility allow them to thrive in most aquatic habitats, though not all niches are held by these nor the allocetids.

In the shallower waters, large amounts of mounted algae grow, along with swimming forms. Crustaceans find this great to hide in, but difficult to form large populations from, and so there are few predatory scuttlebeasts. Instead another form of aquatic animal takes advantage of this habitat, and unlike them it is a vegetarian. Meet the mermen (sirenocentaurus cyanicus), the resident marine herbivores of this climate. Like the enormocentaurs, they are highly derived centaurs, which have become specialised towards a position. Whereas the enormocentaurs became gigantic herbivores though, the mermen have developed into strange aquatic creatures. Terra Incognetia’s isolation from the other continents is profound and ancient, and so they have had many millions of years to evolve. The ancestors of enormocentaurs and mermen diverged from one another well over 70 million years ago, as the oldest fossils of both groups dated to 72 and 73 million years ago respectively. The common ancestor appears to have been semi-aquatic, to some extent, which may explain some of the centaur’s features such as their more hairless skin, webbing on the arms and barrel like lower body. While the enormocentaurs went back onto land, the ancestors of mermen went the other direction, and became fully marine creatures with a very unusual appearance. The back and middle pair of legs have developed into steering flippers for moving about when in water, with the back ones heavily reduced. The tail is fluked like that of a whale and allows decent underwater movement. The front limbs are the most interesting, as the arms are still fairly functionable, and possess large claws used to move and scratch at algae easily, like the claws of the aquatic ground sloths. The head is quite long as is the neck of the animal, and on the top of the head lies a crest similar in shape to a shark’s fin, about 50cm long and 60cm tall in males and 40cm long and 24cm tall in females. An adult merman measures about 8m long and weighs in the region of 3 tonnes or more. The colour of the beasts is a stony grey colour, though algae growing on them alter their tint significantly as well. They are much more solitary than the scuttlebeasts and only come into contact with one another during the mating season. The male’s claws are more than double the size of those on females, reaching up to 1m in length (compared to the 40cm of female claws), and their crests will turn a bright yellow during the mating season, allowing effective sexual display. They manage to both resemble sirenians, and be completely different to them at the same time.

On the banks of the Goldwater River, more typical freshwater animals lie. Or perhaps typical should be in a more subjective light. The evolution of unusual chordateuthans has allowed the occupation of niches previously not available to the group, including the formation of a group with surprising similarities to a certain group of early vertebrates. With many millions of years of development in the absence of creatures such as amphibians, the oppurtunities for this kind of environment are quite ripe. While the oni descendents have and still do occupy a number of amphibian and fish niches, the presence of cephalopods has allowed them to gradually occupy positions that would be beneficial to them. The unique notochord of the cuttlefish helped the group fill in many positions, but one minor clade has managed to take them further than the others. They have developed limb like projections out of their notochord, which allow them to root themselves in the ground, move about through the reeds and even to move across land towards other water bodies, particularly ponds, lakes, rivers and the seas. One of the most derived of all species here is the tiger terrateuth (terrateuthis tigris), a moderately sized creature living in the woods, feeding off crustaceans, swimming squid and even smaller onis. The 6 legs are two jointed, and somewhat resemble those of insects, in a sprawling manner. The reproductive system resembles that of the other cephalopods, in which it takes place externally in the water. The eyes are proportionally smaller than those of the aquatic relatives for safety on land, and have developed protective eyelids in addition. The skin has to remain moist in order to be safe and hydrated, meaning the group are mainly limited to tropical environments, though this species is capable of travelling longer distances and surviving longer without hydration. They get their names both from their aggressive behaviour and their markings which have the same patterns and colours as tiger coatings. An adult female measures about 60cm excluding the tentacles, which are smaller in proportion to the body than in the aquatic relatives. The males are about 45cm long overall. Their young resemble more standard forms of chordateuthan, or even the original cuttlefishes.

On the land, other leagues of creature roam the forests, ones which are clearly very different to those you may see elsewhere. What look like some kind of bizarre hexapedal deer move around in herds, waiting for a sign to move across the river, safe from predators. The nailbranchers (xenocervis occidentalis) bear an incredible resemblance to deer, in the possession of keratin formations on their head, formed out of hardened hairs. These resemble the antlers of deer, and can reach more than 2m in span. An adult male nailbrancher will measure about 3.5m long, measure 1.5m tall and weigh in the region of 400-500kg, while females are slightly smaller, with much stumpier anthers. The back feet have spurs on them used to defer predators, and the snouts have sharp canines to bite at any opposing predators. They have long dark brown fur with light patches all around, and have pelican like pouches for storing food, as well as for display. Alongside a low body is a long but low neck, with 9 vertebrae within it, though held at a horizontal level to allow it to effectively browse around its own height or below, thus not competing with high browsers in this habitat. The head itself is also long, somewhat like that of a spoonbill, and is filled with hundreds of tiny teeth in all 3 jaws, which are excellent for use when it is cropping the horsetails that dwell in these forests. The pouches allow them to bellow at high volumes and form excellent communications with other members of their herd. The males serve as muscle within the herd to protect the young from hordes of predators which live in the forests, and of course the antlers do a very successful job at this deterring.

Another animal dwelling in these forests is a relatively large insectivore, though one which is formidable in its own right. The nest-snatcher (folialestes terriblis) is a quite large form of saurodont adapted to feasting on mounds of insects and on the offspring of other onis. They are much larger than other forms, though not as large as the aquatic creatures of the Dragon’s Head, somewhat like enlargened badgers. Nestsnatchers are somewhat like bizarre monitor lizards, measuring about 2.2m long and weighing in the region of 50kg. like other relatives, the former ‘thumbs’ are far more basal than the digits of the centaurs and many other groups, but contain a number of fleshy and moveable sensors similar to those of a star nosed mole, covered in hairs which enhance their sense of touch. Their body is covered with a dark blue fur, with 20cm spines out of its back which appear to be red. The head is quite short relatively and delivers a considerably powerful bite, and uniquely for its kind, the lower jaws have fused together, making it resemble a standard lizard or mammal. They live in burrows in small communities, and they use this for mutual protection and help finding ideal feeding grounds. Nestsnatchers will usually feed on large insects, some of which can grow to more than 30cm long due to the lower gravity and somewhat higher oxygen. But when this will not suffice, they will raid the nests of other animals, including larger predators and take their young. This tragic way of life not only provides them food, but also cuts down on the populations of predators that may come and attack them. The local rippers will thus try to make precautions against these viciously aggressive infant killers, often placing their nests in awkward positions for the octopedal predators, and will mercilessly attack anything that dare goes near the nests. Arachnimimids deal with it by having their nests high in the trees away from the snatchers. And the hexapods mainly rely on luck. Like honey badgers, they are highly determined predators that will go up against animals much larger than themselves and can scare them off quite easily. They are nocturnal in countering larger predators and so like badgers are rarely seen at daytime.

One group that is much more prominent in this region are the triskelids, which resemble very unusual birds, and like them possess a number of terrestrial niches, particularly influenced by ratites. Interestingly enough, they also possess several predatory niches like terror birds. This following creature is one of them. A common horror-mird (priscicephalus anabrachius) is a very specific sort of predator here. They are built more for speed and agility than their distant relatives the rippers, and their long necks allow them to reach far above what other predators their size would be able to do. The upper jaw is similar to that of a crocodile, filled with serrated teeth to cut flesh, while the lower jaws face toward each other and somewhat resemble those of insects, though not as greatly as the arachnimimids, with their teeth up to 7cm long. This species is quite average in size, measuring about 2.3m in height, 4.5m long including the tail and weighing as much as an ostrich. The animals jaws are around 45cm long and can inflict deadly wounds upon their prey. The neck is also very long and flexible, containing 21 vertebrae, allowing for quick turns, a good reach and powerful blows that are used to kill their prey. Their lack of forelimbs is somewhat hindering, but their long pronged tails prove significant use to them nonetheless. Rather than being used for browsing, they are only occasionally used to help reach up, and are instead used for balance while running, as well as for signalling. An additional use is that they cover their nests in which their offspring are stored. Unlike birds, they still have a placenta and therefore still give birth to live young, meaning that one parent has to be constantly around the young while the other hunts. This can leave them vulnerable when confronted with larger predators like the rippers, exapods, larger arachnimimids, and even larger members of their clade. Common horror-mirds have colour based dimorphism, with the lighter males being grass coloured to camouflage in open spaces, while the more robust females are dark brown to hunt in the forests. The males are cursorial while the females rely more on stealth to hunt their prey.

While the arachnimimids are mostly arboreal creatures, this is not entirely the case. Some species have adapted to terrestrial lifestyles multiple times independently. Those in the jaw region are known as tarantulaks, due to their resemblance to gigantic spiders. Like them, they are covered in thick hair of assorting colours, and they walk on 8 legs and have horizontal jaws. Fortunately, this is where similarities end. No species are venomous, they retain typical mammalian ears and bodies, with the heads uncannily primate-like, and still give birth to small young in nests. They are also far more variable in diet, and contain omnivores and herbivores. The creature here is a clear omnivore-if a highly protective one. The ‘grand tarantulak (deinarachnanthropus terragnathia)’ easily dwarfs its relatives as a terrestrial species. They are quite intelligent animals for their kind, and have fairly high cognitive ability. The head is not just primate like, but ape-like aside from the jaws, with a distinct brow ridge and humanoid eyes, though the ears are more like standard mammalian ones. Nevertheless, it gives a very uneasy appearance, especially to those with arachnophobia. The arms of the animal make good manipulators, having developed somewhat similarly to the hands of a raptor bird (two fingers and one thumb), while the 8 legs are long but sturdy enough to support its size. The legs are equipped with blunted claws as they do not climb as adults (juveniles do) but the arms are equipped with defensive talons, while the beak like jaws can deliver a nasty bite to anything that dares try to attack it. Females are the larger gender, with a body length of 2.3m, a height of 1.6m and leg span of 5m, weighing in the region of 600kg or so, with the fur being a similar colour to oak, with a somewhat lighter mane around 5cm thick. The males are smaller at 2m long, 1.4m tall and weighing 300kg overall, with a dark blue fur and luminous cyan mane, used for sexual display. Being omnivores, they will feed on whatever is available. This tends to be the plant life surrounding them, particularly the ferns, leaves and fruits (distant descendants of grapes, berries, tomatoes, citrus etc), but they will also take insects, carrion or the young of other animals. They rarely actively hunt due to their awkward positioning, but their appearance is very intimidating to other animals, especially rippers. They are protective parents as well, making their nests in the trees and will guard the young with their lives.

Description
The Jaws:
One of the largest dual peninsulas imaginable, the Jaws are not as wet and tropical as the Dragon’s Head to the North, but they are still very warm, and have open space, allowing for more spaced out animals to make a living here. The flora in these regions is also not as highly derived for wet life, but sticks to more traditional forms, though conifers, gingkoes and ferns remain dominant over the flowering plants here. The fauna here are thus not as adapted to cold climates, and swamps, though they deal with a decent amount of rainfall. The environment here is not too different from the Mesozoic era, with various different flora roaming around, but with a long stretch of coastline also available, allowing various creatures to be shown in both this land and on the land too. Though much more restrictive than the grasslands, the environment nevertheless allows more ungulate like fauna to thrive rather than survive here. But although the hexapods and occasional centaur are significantly present, there are a large diversity of triskelids that thrive in these forests too. An exploration of the many different creatures in these forests is ultimately necessary to know what this bizarre land is like.

In the waters, a pack of unusual animals jump up and down across, chasing small draconians skimming above the water. These are a species of highly intelligent marine animals, ones that have become incredibly derived from their ancestors and have thus achieved utterly incredible forms. They are holphins (brachiocetus magnificens), which flourish in the warm seas surrounding this. They are highly intelligent animals of the clade scuttlebeasts, or xenothalassiotheres, which are some of the most derived from the other humans. The first xenothalassiotheres appeared more than 300 million years ago during the early part of the oni’s existence, as their first radiation began. With no vertebrates in the seas, and an abundance of food, they moved in and filled a huge number of ecological niches. They have taken on many forms, and have even developed the ability to take oxygen directly from their skin, particularly the former mammary glands, allowing them to take another step toward marine behaviour. It also helped them compete with later waves of post-human. Even after all these millions of years, the scuttlebeasts are still around today, with their cuttlefish like forms thriving in almost every aquatic habitat. Most species are carnivorous by default, and the holphin is no exception. Millions of years of competition from other groups such as the allocetids has made them resort to strong intelligent thought and cognitive ability. Their thumbs are used not only for hunting, but also as manipulators when moving around in water. The 8 legs remain virtually fused in a similar way to the cuttles on cuttlefish, allowing them to chase crustaceans and cephalopods with ease. They will even take on smaller relatives, who have managed to take fish niches on hold. The long flukes at the end of the tail are similar to those of the anomilacarids, except with large sails used for display and communication. They have also started to become omnivorous, and will consume shellfish, bivalves and even algae if they need to. They live in groups and will coordinate attacks on smaller prey. And adult holphin measures almost 6m long with its flukes and weighs up to 200kg. Their speed and agility allow them to thrive in most aquatic habitats, though not all niches are held by these nor the allocetids.

In the shallower waters, large amounts of mounted algae grow, along with swimming forms. Crustaceans find this great to hide in, but difficult to form large populations from, and so there are few predatory scuttlebeasts. Instead another form of aquatic animal takes advantage of this habitat, and unlike them it is a vegetarian. Meet the mermen (sirenocentaurus cyanicus), the resident marine herbivores of this climate. Like the enormocentaurs, they are highly derived centaurs, which have become specialised towards a position. Whereas the enormocentaurs became gigantic herbivores though, the mermen have developed into strange aquatic creatures. Terra Incognetia’s isolation from the other continents is profound and ancient, and so they have had many millions of years to evolve. The ancestors of enormocentaurs and mermen diverged from one another well over 70 million years ago, as the oldest fossils of both groups dated to 72 and 73 million years ago respectively. The common ancestor appears to have been semi-aquatic, to some extent, which may explain some of the centaur’s features such as their more hairless skin, webbing on the arms and barrel like lower body. While the enormocentaurs went back onto land, the ancestors of mermen went the other direction, and became fully marine creatures with a very unusual appearance. The back and middle pair of legs have developed into steering flippers for moving about when in water, with the back ones heavily reduced. The tail is fluked like that of a whale and allows decent underwater movement. The front limbs are the most interesting, as the arms are still fairly functionable, and possess large claws used to move and scratch at algae easily, like the claws of the aquatic ground sloths. The head is quite long as is the neck of the animal, and on the top of the head lies a crest similar in shape to a shark’s fin, about 50cm long and 60cm tall in males and 40cm long and 24cm tall in females. An adult merman measures about 8m long and weighs in the region of 3 tonnes or more. The colour of the beasts is a stony grey colour, though algae growing on them alter their tint significantly as well. They are much more solitary than the scuttlebeasts and only come into contact with one another during the mating season. The male’s claws are more than double the size of those on females, reaching up to 1m in length (compared to the 40cm of female claws), and their crests will turn a bright yellow during the mating season, allowing effective sexual display. They manage to both resemble sirenians, and be completely different to them at the same time.

On the banks of the Goldwater River, more typical freshwater animals lie. Or perhaps typical should be in a more subjective light. The evolution of unusual chordateuthans has allowed the occupation of niches previously not available to the group, including the formation of a group with surprising similarities to a certain group of early vertebrates. With many millions of years of development in the absence of creatures such as amphibians, the oppurtunities for this kind of environment are quite ripe. While the oni descendents have and still do occupy a number of amphibian and fish niches, the presence of cephalopods has allowed them to gradually occupy positions that would be beneficial to them. The unique notochord of the cuttlefish helped the group fill in many positions, but one minor clade has managed to take them further than the others. They have developed limb like projections out of their notochord, which allow them to root themselves in the ground, move about through the reeds and even to move across land towards other water bodies, particularly ponds, lakes, rivers and the seas. One of the most derived of all species here is the tiger terrateuth (terrateuthis tigris), a moderately sized creature living in the woods, feeding off crustaceans, swimming squid and even smaller onis. The 6 legs are two jointed, and somewhat resemble those of insects, in a sprawling manner. The reproductive system resembles that of the other cephalopods, in which it takes place externally in the water. The eyes are proportionally smaller than those of the aquatic relatives for safety on land, and have developed protective eyelids in addition. The skin has to remain moist in order to be safe and hydrated, meaning the group are mainly limited to tropical environments, though this species is capable of travelling longer distances and surviving longer without hydration. They get their names both from their aggressive behaviour and their markings which have the same patterns and colours as tiger coatings. An adult female measures about 60cm excluding the tentacles, which are smaller in proportion to the body than in the aquatic relatives. The males are about 45cm long overall. Their young resemble more standard forms of chordateuthan, or even the original cuttlefishes.

On the land, other leagues of creature roam the forests, ones which are clearly very different to those you may see elsewhere. What look like some kind of bizarre hexapedal deer move around in herds, waiting for a sign to move across the river, safe from predators. The nailbranchers (xenocervis occidentalis) bear an incredible resemblance to deer, in the possession of keratin formations on their head, formed out of hardened hairs. These resemble the antlers of deer, and can reach more than 2m in span. An adult male nailbrancher will measure about 3.5m long, measure 1.5m tall and weigh in the region of 400-500kg, while females are slightly smaller, with much stumpier anthers. The back feet have spurs on them used to defer predators, and the snouts have sharp canines to bite at any opposing predators. They have long dark brown fur with light patches all around, and have pelican like pouches for storing food, as well as for display. Alongside a low body is a long but low neck, with 9 vertebrae within it, though held at a horizontal level to allow it to effectively browse around its own height or below, thus not competing with high browsers in this habitat. The head itself is also long, somewhat like that of a spoonbill, and is filled with hundreds of tiny teeth in all 3 jaws, which are excellent for use when it is cropping the horsetails that dwell in these forests. The pouches allow them to bellow at high volumes and form excellent communications with other members of their herd. The males serve as muscle within the herd to protect the young from hordes of predators which live in the forests, and of course the antlers do a very successful job at this deterring.

Another animal dwelling in these forests is a relatively large insectivore, though one which is formidable in its own right. The nest-snatcher (folialestes terriblis) is a quite large form of saurodont adapted to feasting on mounds of insects and on the offspring of other onis. They are much larger than other forms, though not as large as the aquatic creatures of the Dragon’s Head, somewhat like enlargened badgers. Nestsnatchers are somewhat like bizarre monitor lizards, measuring about 2.2m long and weighing in the region of 50kg. like other relatives, the former ‘thumbs’ are far more basal than the digits of the centaurs and many other groups, but contain a number of fleshy and moveable sensors similar to those of a star nosed mole, covered in hairs which enhance their sense of touch. Their body is covered with a dark blue fur, with 20cm spines out of its back which appear to be red. The head is quite short relatively and delivers a considerably powerful bite, and uniquely for its kind, the lower jaws have fused together, making it resemble a standard lizard or mammal. They live in burrows in small communities, and they use this for mutual protection and help finding ideal feeding grounds. Nestsnatchers will usually feed on large insects, some of which can grow to more than 30cm long due to the lower gravity and somewhat higher oxygen. But when this will not suffice, they will raid the nests of other animals, including larger predators and take their young. This tragic way of life not only provides them food, but also cuts down on the populations of predators that may come and attack them. The local rippers will thus try to make precautions against these viciously aggressive infant killers, often placing their nests in awkward positions for the octopedal predators, and will mercilessly attack anything that dare goes near the nests. Arachnimimids deal with it by having their nests high in the trees away from the snatchers. And the hexapods mainly rely on luck. Like honey badgers, they are highly determined predators that will go up against animals much larger than themselves and can scare them off quite easily. They are nocturnal in countering larger predators and so like badgers are rarely seen at daytime.

One group that is much more prominent in this region are the triskelids, which resemble very unusual birds, and like them possess a number of terrestrial niches, particularly influenced by ratites. Interestingly enough, they also possess several predatory niches like terror birds. This following creature is one of them. A common horror-mird (priscicephalus anabrachius) is a very specific sort of predator here. They are built more for speed and agility than their distant relatives the rippers, and their long necks allow them to reach far above what other predators their size would be able to do. The upper jaw is similar to that of a crocodile, filled with serrated teeth to cut flesh, while the lower jaws face toward each other and somewhat resemble those of insects, though not as greatly as the arachnimimids, with their teeth up to 7cm long. This species is quite average in size, measuring about 2.3m in height, 4.5m long including the tail and weighing as much as an ostrich. The animals jaws are around 45cm long and can inflict deadly wounds upon their prey. The neck is also very long and flexible, containing 21 vertebrae, allowing for quick turns, a good reach and powerful blows that are used to kill their prey. Their lack of forelimbs is somewhat hindering, but their long pronged tails prove significant use to them nonetheless. Rather than being used for browsing, they are only occasionally used to help reach up, and are instead used for balance while running, as well as for signalling. An additional use is that they cover their nests in which their offspring are stored. Unlike birds, they still have a placenta and therefore still give birth to live young, meaning that one parent has to be constantly around the young while the other hunts. This can leave them vulnerable when confronted with larger predators like the rippers, exapods, larger arachnimimids, and even larger members of their clade. Common horror-mirds have colour based dimorphism, with the lighter males being grass coloured to camouflage in open spaces, while the more robust females are dark brown to hunt in the forests. The males are cursorial while the females rely more on stealth to hunt their prey.

While the arachnimimids are mostly arboreal creatures, this is not entirely the case. Some species have adapted to terrestrial lifestyles multiple times independently. Those in the jaw region are known as tarantulaks, due to their resemblance to gigantic spiders. Like them, they are covered in thick hair of assorting colours, and they walk on 8 legs and have horizontal jaws. Fortunately, this is where similarities end. No species are venomous, they retain typical mammalian ears and bodies, with the heads uncannily primate-like, and still give birth to small young in nests. They are also far more variable in diet, and contain omnivores and herbivores. The creature here is a clear omnivore-if a highly protective one. The ‘grand tarantulak (deinarachnanthropus terragnathia)’ easily dwarfs its relatives as a terrestrial species. They are quite intelligent animals for their kind, and have fairly high cognitive ability. The head is not just primate like, but ape-like aside from the jaws, with a distinct brow ridge and humanoid eyes, though the ears are more like standard mammalian ones. Nevertheless, it gives a very uneasy appearance, especially to those with arachnophobia. The arms of the animal make good manipulators, having developed somewhat similarly to the hands of a raptor bird (two fingers and one thumb), while the 8 legs are long but sturdy enough to support its size. The legs are equipped with blunted claws as they do not climb as adults (juveniles do) but the arms are equipped with defensive talons, while the beak like jaws can deliver a nasty bite to anything that dares try to attack it. Females are the larger gender, with a body length of 2.3m, a height of 1.6m and leg span of 5m, weighing in the region of 600kg or so, with the fur being a similar colour to oak, with a somewhat lighter mane around 5cm thick. The males are smaller at 2m long, 1.4m tall and weighing 300kg overall, with a dark blue fur and luminous cyan mane, used for sexual display. Being omnivores, they will feed on whatever is available. This tends to be the plant life surrounding them, particularly the ferns, leaves and fruits (distant descendants of grapes, berries, tomatoes, citrus etc), but they will also take insects, carrion or the young of other animals. They rarely actively hunt due to their awkward positioning, but their appearance is very intimidating to other animals, especially rippers. They are protective parents as well, making their nests in the trees and will guard the young with their lives.