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Description
Yaaay coloured side view. And he's running which was fun to think about..
More working out of its basic pattern and stuff....Also the black patterns differentiate individuals same as the markings on tigers/Zebra/Leopards.

I need to think of an actual name for this species, Hexapede is not what I actually want them to be called but I'm awful at names. Suggestions are welcome :'D

I feel I should also explain a bit about its physiology and such. This is always a fun thing to think about and deliberate over...but you should know I'm no biologist so I don't know if some things seem unbelievable or wrong.
While I am creating alien physiology here (and maybe getting a bit over excited in creating it ='D), I'm not trying to make something with totally unrealistic properties. I'm drawing from my knowledge of the natural world and it's very interesting to come up with these things
I may have missed some stuff about them but they are still in development somewhat. If you read all this then that's awesome and I hope you enjoy~

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Habitat and behaviour:

They dominate the plains that cover almost a quatre of their home planet. Travelling in packs numbering from two to fifteen members, they are rarely terratorial as prey is abundant and varied throughout the world. As it is they are always on the move, travelling vast distances within a day to avoid weather systems and to even seek out other packs. They are inquisitive and intelligent, tending to be very interested in new individuals and can remember a face for quite some time. Living for as long as twenty years, they can grow massive and so the plains offer them the space they require to move. However younger members of the species often seek refuge in the dense forests that cover most of the world, finding others like themselves. The plains are a dangerous place, and though social the females are rarely maternal. They will stop other members of the pack from eating their young for the first week or two, but it is wise for the little ones to find safety in the forest before she loses interest in them.

These young group together over time, almost all from different packs. When they finally become too large for the forests undergrowth they move out into the plains as a newly formed pack.

Physiology:

Its fore body is where most of its weight lies, its skull being incredibly dense and its neck thick with muscle which naturally makes it a bit over balanced. To compensate, its fore legs developed close together as the joints and bones became effective shock absorbers. If an animal is over zealous in a run, especially as it grows larger, there is a risk of fracture in its fore limbs which in most cases prove fatal. All four limbs are needed for it to be able to walk effectively, as well as to prevent it from keeling over because of its instability. If it cannot keep up with its pack they will usually leave it behind. The weather systems above the plains are the main reason the forest hasn't occupied them, and the animals have developed sophisticated ways of detecting a violent storm.

Occasionally Hexapedes travel alone by choice and are effective scavangers, so if an individual is not so badly hurt that it can still walk it may be able to survive long enough to heal.

As a smaller individual weight is no issue for them, and as such their powerful back legs allow them to perform long leaps that can be used to take down prey, or to escape imminent danger.

As they slowly grow to their full size (they can come to the same weight and height as a small elephant) they evolved a technique which works effectively during this stage of their life span. It is usually only effective when travelling with a pack.

Two or three individuals run by the sides and behind their prey as it tries to flee, surrounding it, with one or two of them colliding with the animals side. This collision itself can break a few ribs just by the sheer force of the impact and cause the prey to fall or stagger. If the Hexapede lacks the size to cause such damage, it runs alongside the prey before rapidly swinging its head up and into the animals chest/flank region. This can cause deep wounds with it's horns if the force again wasn't already enough to bring it down. If a hit to the chest isn't possible (much of their prey has developed armour to protect against this attack) then they usually attempt a hit to the animals front legs. One attempt is usually enough and allows the others to take down the flagging animal with little difficulty.

Like most creatures inhabiting the planet they have two sets of eyes (although on earlier designs they have three) One set is long with a pupil that stretches the full length of the organ. This give them a landscape view of the world around them, as well as offering a decent scope of the environment above and below them. This first set is blocked however by the horns and so cannot offer a view of what is directly in front of them. The second set deals with this problem by being focused on forward sight. With decent peripheral vision coupled with the landscape view of the upper eyes gives them the ability to accurately judge where they will hit their prey with their horns. The eyes are static and do not blink. They are covered by a thin membrane to protect them from the elements and contract when exposed to bright lights. Considering their size they are quite vulnerable and are one of the reasons why the Hexapedes don't generally fight each other, besides risking damage to their legs.

As they get toward the end of their lifespan, they have grown too large to be able to run fast enough to hunt if they can run at all. The pack is lead by the largest member of the group (Differences between males and females are not very noticeable and illustrations on these may come later) the smaller members of the pack bringing them any food they kill. Females will only breed with males that have reached this rather late stage of life. These males were clearly healthy and strong enough throughout their life to reach this stage. This has ensured the population as a whole continues to strengthen and change with each generation.

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Description
Yaaay coloured side view. And he's running which was fun to think about..
More working out of its basic pattern and stuff....Also the black patterns differentiate individuals same as the markings on tigers/Zebra/Leopards.

I need to think of an actual name for this species, Hexapede is not what I actually want them to be called but I'm awful at names. Suggestions are welcome :'D

I feel I should also explain a bit about its physiology and such. This is always a fun thing to think about and deliberate over...but you should know I'm no biologist so I don't know if some things seem unbelievable or wrong.
While I am creating alien physiology here (and maybe getting a bit over excited in creating it ='D), I'm not trying to make something with totally unrealistic properties. I'm drawing from my knowledge of the natural world and it's very interesting to come up with these things
I may have missed some stuff about them but they are still in development somewhat. If you read all this then that's awesome and I hope you enjoy~

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Habitat and behaviour:

They dominate the plains that cover almost a quatre of their home planet. Travelling in packs numbering from two to fifteen members, they are rarely terratorial as prey is abundant and varied throughout the world. As it is they are always on the move, travelling vast distances within a day to avoid weather systems and to even seek out other packs. They are inquisitive and intelligent, tending to be very interested in new individuals and can remember a face for quite some time. Living for as long as twenty years, they can grow massive and so the plains offer them the space they require to move. However younger members of the species often seek refuge in the dense forests that cover most of the world, finding others like themselves. The plains are a dangerous place, and though social the females are rarely maternal. They will stop other members of the pack from eating their young for the first week or two, but it is wise for the little ones to find safety in the forest before she loses interest in them.

These young group together over time, almost all from different packs. When they finally become too large for the forests undergrowth they move out into the plains as a newly formed pack.

Physiology:

Its fore body is where most of its weight lies, its skull being incredibly dense and its neck thick with muscle which naturally makes it a bit over balanced. To compensate, its fore legs developed close together as the joints and bones became effective shock absorbers. If an animal is over zealous in a run, especially as it grows larger, there is a risk of fracture in its fore limbs which in most cases prove fatal. All four limbs are needed for it to be able to walk effectively, as well as to prevent it from keeling over because of its instability. If it cannot keep up with its pack they will usually leave it behind. The weather systems above the plains are the main reason the forest hasn't occupied them, and the animals have developed sophisticated ways of detecting a violent storm.

Occasionally Hexapedes travel alone by choice and are effective scavangers, so if an individual is not so badly hurt that it can still walk it may be able to survive long enough to heal.

As a smaller individual weight is no issue for them, and as such their powerful back legs allow them to perform long leaps that can be used to take down prey, or to escape imminent danger.

As they slowly grow to their full size (they can come to the same weight and height as a small elephant) they evolved a technique which works effectively during this stage of their life span. It is usually only effective when travelling with a pack.

Two or three individuals run by the sides and behind their prey as it tries to flee, surrounding it, with one or two of them colliding with the animals side. This collision itself can break a few ribs just by the sheer force of the impact and cause the prey to fall or stagger. If the Hexapede lacks the size to cause such damage, it runs alongside the prey before rapidly swinging its head up and into the animals chest/flank region. This can cause deep wounds with it's horns if the force again wasn't already enough to bring it down. If a hit to the chest isn't possible (much of their prey has developed armour to protect against this attack) then they usually attempt a hit to the animals front legs. One attempt is usually enough and allows the others to take down the flagging animal with little difficulty.

Like most creatures inhabiting the planet they have two sets of eyes (although on earlier designs they have three) One set is long with a pupil that stretches the full length of the organ. This give them a landscape view of the world around them, as well as offering a decent scope of the environment above and below them. This first set is blocked however by the horns and so cannot offer a view of what is directly in front of them. The second set deals with this problem by being focused on forward sight. With decent peripheral vision coupled with the landscape view of the upper eyes gives them the ability to accurately judge where they will hit their prey with their horns. The eyes are static and do not blink. They are covered by a thin membrane to protect them from the elements and contract when exposed to bright lights. Considering their size they are quite vulnerable and are one of the reasons why the Hexapedes don't generally fight each other, besides risking damage to their legs.

As they get toward the end of their lifespan, they have grown too large to be able to run fast enough to hunt if they can run at all. The pack is lead by the largest member of the group (Differences between males and females are not very noticeable and illustrations on these may come later) the smaller members of the pack bringing them any food they kill. Females will only breed with males that have reached this rather late stage of life. These males were clearly healthy and strong enough throughout their life to reach this stage. This has ensured the population as a whole continues to strengthen and change with each generation.

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