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Description
aayyy back at it again with the argonus fauna!!! this time i tried cramming in as many flora and fauna into one pic. also, apologies for the bad image quality, didn't realize it was bad until i came to write the description.

so, the great splitting lake. believed to be the remnants of a former glacier(s), it is the largest lake in northest amerigia, and also the largest freshwater lake on argonus. and, given my need to create some creatures, i figured i mine as well draw some animals that inhabit the region, or at the very least are frequently seen there.

anyways, here are some of the flora and fauna that can be found:

-amerigian camel:
a camelid found in northest amerigia. actually, the amerigan camel (alongside several sub-species) are the only living member of the genus camelops , aka the north american camels to us. what was once a widespread genus across the continent, this genus now only live in the plains and prairies of N.O. amerigia.
like all argonian camelids (camels and llamas), they have two pair of fang, with the first pair sticking out of the mouth. they're typically solitary, or sometimes found in loose groups during the breeding seasons. their diet, while varying depending on the season, typically consist of grass and shrubbery. typically the young are most vulnerable from predation, commonly coyotes, plains cougars and sometimes wild hueys, however it's not uncommon for those same predators to go after adults during the winter as well.
the amerigan camel has a pretty solid place in native amerigian culture as an important food source and a land-based beast of burden. their milk is said to have a taste between that of a llama and a camels, and their hump fat is packed with nutrients and it (alongside most of the camel itself) commonly eaten in the winter. and given their relative hardyness, they're about as good of a beast-of-burden as your regular camel. amerigian camels as mounts/pack animals seem to especially be common with non-argonian sophonts.

-plains cougar
in the same vein as the amerigian camel, the plains cougar isn't just a plains-dwelling species of cougar, but in fact is a Pleistocene remnant that's extinct in our world. in this case, it belongs in the genus miracinonyx , aka the american cheetah. though, taxonomically speaking, they're more closer to cougars than cheetahs.
the plains cougar are native to the plains, prairies and deserts of northest amerigian. the big cat is a solitary hunter, who's adapted to hunting smaller, fast-moving prey like deer, rabbit and pronghorns. however, it is flexible in what it can hunt, which if often an important skill since they live in the same harsh conditions as the amerigian camel. young stunnits are often common prey from time to time, for the obvious reason that an adult huey is slightly bigger (yet much more bulkier) than that of the adult plains cougar.

-some trees
decided fauna wasn't enough, and added a couple species of tree as well:
-southest cypress, a species of wetland-living cypress found in the southern parts of the great splitting lake. they are especially common in the wooded swamp where they get the name "northern mangroves" due to having similar-lookin roots.
-water pear, another wetland-dwelling tree. these guys are a relative to the paw-paw tree , but due to it huge water intake, it's not as frequently cultivated as it's relatives.
-squirrel willow, a species of willow that generally can be found through the south. squirrel willows tend to lack any low-hanging branches, and grows taller than wider. it get's it's name due to an old wives tale that squirrels will prefer to walk for miles for these trees than any other trees close by.

-painted vulture
found throughout the Sothern half of amerigia (and especially the southern half of the great splitting lake), painted vultures are a close relative of the north american black vulture , and apart from appearances they share the same exact behaviors. they are scavenger that primarily eat carrion, but will go after any food scraps and the occasional live prey. they often venture into some urban environment, though they aren't as common in those areas as their black vulture relatives.

-diving thrush
found throughout the great splitting lake area, diving thrush are technically not a thrush, but instead a close relative of the dipper birds . much like with the dippers, they're semi-aquatic (odd for a passerine bird) and they dive underwater to search for food, which consist of various aquatic invertebrates. they have established territories that lie within shallow bodies of water, commonly wetlands, rivers or streams. they make their nests out of hollowed-out spaces using mud and moss, and lay up to 5 eggs.
however, while dippers are typically not too far off from the typical passerine form (despite their obvious adaptations), the diving thrush fully embraces these semi-aquatic adaptation with their lobbed feet. these kinds of webbed feet, alongside their ability to hold their breaths slightly longer, allow them to swim deeper and farther than the dippers.

-blue roadrunner
the blue roadrunner, also known as the "looney roadrunner" by humans, is basically another species of roadrunner, right down to behavior and diet. however, the blue roadrunner has a more extensive range and can be found in the woodlands of western amerigia.

-watercat
the watercat, also known as lake seals, false otters, seal-otter, seal-minks or minot seals (final one used by humans), are a genus of mustelid found only in the great splitting lake area. they're not otter, nor minks, nor even ferrets, but are in family of their own who's closest relatives are guloinae (fishers, martens and wolverines).
the watercats, if it wasn't obvious, is highly adapted for the water and convergently evolves into a somewhat similar build to a seal, otter and beaver. the mustelid is a powerfully yet graceful swimmer, and is rather social. they migrate frequently, going up north to breed and raise young in the late spring, and heading back down south to escape the harsh winters and follow the migration of prey (fish, certain crustaceans, ect) in the mid fall. however, not all species go that route; some only migrate halfway up the lake to breed, and others simply stay in the south year-round.
whatever the case, they do gather in small, loose "rookeries", or more accurately called "villages" since they build a nest not too different from that of a beaver. it's basically a dome made of vegetation and mud, and the watercats enter it via an underwater tunnel. while they can (and often do) use the same dome every year, sometime a breeding pair may choose to create a new dome.

-blue lakegull
lakegulls, also known as inland gulls, are really just another average member of laridae (the gull family). though, lakegulls tend to be on the more smaller side, with most species being around the same size as mallards. though adapted for eating various ocean life, just like their oceanic relatives they'll eat really anything. the only thing separating them from other seagull species is that they're the only gulls that nest in the great splitting lake region. blue lakegulls are no exception, but because of elkinet activity they've experienced a decrease in population, leading them to be listed as "near-threatened".

-winged crab
a freshwater genus of swimming crab , the winged crab get's it's name from it's flattened fifth legs (that kinda look like wings), which in case the name and drawing wasn't obvious, allows them to swim (or 'fly', if the memes are correct). like almost every other migratory animal, they live up north in the summer, and move down south in the winter. however, they are very gregarious, especially during the migratory season. thus, it's not an unusual sight to see shoals of up to 20-50 winged crabs just swimming. and, because of the high numbers of crabs that gather to migrate, many other migratory species frequently prey on them, and even completely rely on them.

-uh-1 Iroquois (wild huey)
alot of times, people (especially humans and non-argonian residence) forget that the aeronoids are indeed part of the natural world, and that there are "wild aircraft" out there. the iroquois , also known as the wild huey, is a common sight in northest amerigia. they're typically social, living in pairs that mate for life. they are mostly carnivorous, typically preferring small to medium-sized animals like birds, rodents, ect. however, as opportunist they will take on any animal if hungry enough. from time to time they'll also eat various other things like various plants and scraps.

Description
aayyy back at it again with the argonus fauna!!! this time i tried cramming in as many flora and fauna into one pic. also, apologies for the bad image quality, didn't realize it was bad until i came to write the description.

so, the great splitting lake. believed to be the remnants of a former glacier(s), it is the largest lake in northest amerigia, and also the largest freshwater lake on argonus. and, given my need to create some creatures, i figured i mine as well draw some animals that inhabit the region, or at the very least are frequently seen there.

anyways, here are some of the flora and fauna that can be found:

-amerigian camel:
a camelid found in northest amerigia. actually, the amerigan camel (alongside several sub-species) are the only living member of the genus camelops , aka the north american camels to us. what was once a widespread genus across the continent, this genus now only live in the plains and prairies of N.O. amerigia.
like all argonian camelids (camels and llamas), they have two pair of fang, with the first pair sticking out of the mouth. they're typically solitary, or sometimes found in loose groups during the breeding seasons. their diet, while varying depending on the season, typically consist of grass and shrubbery. typically the young are most vulnerable from predation, commonly coyotes, plains cougars and sometimes wild hueys, however it's not uncommon for those same predators to go after adults during the winter as well.
the amerigan camel has a pretty solid place in native amerigian culture as an important food source and a land-based beast of burden. their milk is said to have a taste between that of a llama and a camels, and their hump fat is packed with nutrients and it (alongside most of the camel itself) commonly eaten in the winter. and given their relative hardyness, they're about as good of a beast-of-burden as your regular camel. amerigian camels as mounts/pack animals seem to especially be common with non-argonian sophonts.

-plains cougar
in the same vein as the amerigian camel, the plains cougar isn't just a plains-dwelling species of cougar, but in fact is a Pleistocene remnant that's extinct in our world. in this case, it belongs in the genus miracinonyx , aka the american cheetah. though, taxonomically speaking, they're more closer to cougars than cheetahs.
the plains cougar are native to the plains, prairies and deserts of northest amerigian. the big cat is a solitary hunter, who's adapted to hunting smaller, fast-moving prey like deer, rabbit and pronghorns. however, it is flexible in what it can hunt, which if often an important skill since they live in the same harsh conditions as the amerigian camel. young stunnits are often common prey from time to time, for the obvious reason that an adult huey is slightly bigger (yet much more bulkier) than that of the adult plains cougar.

-some trees
decided fauna wasn't enough, and added a couple species of tree as well:
-southest cypress, a species of wetland-living cypress found in the southern parts of the great splitting lake. they are especially common in the wooded swamp where they get the name "northern mangroves" due to having similar-lookin roots.
-water pear, another wetland-dwelling tree. these guys are a relative to the paw-paw tree , but due to it huge water intake, it's not as frequently cultivated as it's relatives.
-squirrel willow, a species of willow that generally can be found through the south. squirrel willows tend to lack any low-hanging branches, and grows taller than wider. it get's it's name due to an old wives tale that squirrels will prefer to walk for miles for these trees than any other trees close by.

-painted vulture
found throughout the Sothern half of amerigia (and especially the southern half of the great splitting lake), painted vultures are a close relative of the north american black vulture , and apart from appearances they share the same exact behaviors. they are scavenger that primarily eat carrion, but will go after any food scraps and the occasional live prey. they often venture into some urban environment, though they aren't as common in those areas as their black vulture relatives.

-diving thrush
found throughout the great splitting lake area, diving thrush are technically not a thrush, but instead a close relative of the dipper birds . much like with the dippers, they're semi-aquatic (odd for a passerine bird) and they dive underwater to search for food, which consist of various aquatic invertebrates. they have established territories that lie within shallow bodies of water, commonly wetlands, rivers or streams. they make their nests out of hollowed-out spaces using mud and moss, and lay up to 5 eggs.
however, while dippers are typically not too far off from the typical passerine form (despite their obvious adaptations), the diving thrush fully embraces these semi-aquatic adaptation with their lobbed feet. these kinds of webbed feet, alongside their ability to hold their breaths slightly longer, allow them to swim deeper and farther than the dippers.

-blue roadrunner
the blue roadrunner, also known as the "looney roadrunner" by humans, is basically another species of roadrunner, right down to behavior and diet. however, the blue roadrunner has a more extensive range and can be found in the woodlands of western amerigia.

-watercat
the watercat, also known as lake seals, false otters, seal-otter, seal-minks or minot seals (final one used by humans), are a genus of mustelid found only in the great splitting lake area. they're not otter, nor minks, nor even ferrets, but are in family of their own who's closest relatives are guloinae (fishers, martens and wolverines).
the watercats, if it wasn't obvious, is highly adapted for the water and convergently evolves into a somewhat similar build to a seal, otter and beaver. the mustelid is a powerfully yet graceful swimmer, and is rather social. they migrate frequently, going up north to breed and raise young in the late spring, and heading back down south to escape the harsh winters and follow the migration of prey (fish, certain crustaceans, ect) in the mid fall. however, not all species go that route; some only migrate halfway up the lake to breed, and others simply stay in the south year-round.
whatever the case, they do gather in small, loose "rookeries", or more accurately called "villages" since they build a nest not too different from that of a beaver. it's basically a dome made of vegetation and mud, and the watercats enter it via an underwater tunnel. while they can (and often do) use the same dome every year, sometime a breeding pair may choose to create a new dome.

-blue lakegull
lakegulls, also known as inland gulls, are really just another average member of laridae (the gull family). though, lakegulls tend to be on the more smaller side, with most species being around the same size as mallards. though adapted for eating various ocean life, just like their oceanic relatives they'll eat really anything. the only thing separating them from other seagull species is that they're the only gulls that nest in the great splitting lake region. blue lakegulls are no exception, but because of elkinet activity they've experienced a decrease in population, leading them to be listed as "near-threatened".

-winged crab
a freshwater genus of swimming crab , the winged crab get's it's name from it's flattened fifth legs (that kinda look like wings), which in case the name and drawing wasn't obvious, allows them to swim (or 'fly', if the memes are correct). like almost every other migratory animal, they live up north in the summer, and move down south in the winter. however, they are very gregarious, especially during the migratory season. thus, it's not an unusual sight to see shoals of up to 20-50 winged crabs just swimming. and, because of the high numbers of crabs that gather to migrate, many other migratory species frequently prey on them, and even completely rely on them.

-uh-1 Iroquois (wild huey)
alot of times, people (especially humans and non-argonian residence) forget that the aeronoids are indeed part of the natural world, and that there are "wild aircraft" out there. the iroquois , also known as the wild huey, is a common sight in northest amerigia. they're typically social, living in pairs that mate for life. they are mostly carnivorous, typically preferring small to medium-sized animals like birds, rodents, ect. however, as opportunist they will take on any animal if hungry enough. from time to time they'll also eat various other things like various plants and scraps.