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Description
Entry for 's Speculative Evolution Challenge

Pheeew! Almost too late!

A beast isolated from the world we know and evolved up in the land far beyond our imagination. Deep in a mysterius island in the middle of the enraged ocean known as Skull Island, there thrives a large predatory reptilian, the Skullcrawler (Craniosaurus sarcophilus). As one of the super predator of its ecosystem, this terrifying creature strikes fear into every inhabitors of Skull Island.

It's a large animal. Skullcrawler lengths up to 12 metres and weights up to a tons. The creature crawls on 2 enlarged front legs, powerful enough to push this monster in short range burst, in contrast, its hind legs are vestigial and shrinked. Its thickened head is smooth and white in color, similar to a bare skull of demised animal and its robust body, lies thick osteoderms along its back and at the end, it long powerful tail...

While this creature looks like some kind of strange lizard, Skullcrawler has a much more bizarre origin. Its skull lacks any visible fenestrae and its ribs are fused together. This is the very last, remaining basal member of a clade called Pantestudine, a clade that included turtles and tortoises' line age. It's believed that the line age that gave rise to Skullcrawler diversed from those that became Testudine since late Triassic period. Even if nowaday, the only of its relative are turtles and tortoises, Skullcrawler are only distantly related. It's fused skull evolved independently from Testudine as the result of living underground and primarily using their head to dig, similar to the unrelated Amphisbaenians.

Skullcrawler still retrains the trait of its ancestor. It mainly stays underground. However due to its size, the crawler can only submerges in place and not actively travel underground. It's an ambush predator. With its tough head and powerful claws, it can dig up large amount of earth to hide itself, setting up trap for any passing prey, which once approaches the area, the Skullcrawler springs out and charges in with short, high speed. It overpowers its prey with its powerful jaws and sharp teeth, pinning them down before brutally rip the head or neck of prey apart.

Skullcrawler has large variety of prey. Being the top predator of its range, it can take on even two of the largest creatures on the island, the Skull Island Bush-horned Buffalo (Elaphrobulbalus giganteus), which could weight up to 5 tons, and the slightly lighter but taller Kong Ape (Poseidopithecus rex). Skullcrawler usually target smaller buffalo, but fully grown bull is also heard to be attacked and killed by the reptile. Skullcrawler can surprisingly leaps up high enough to pounce upon the buffalo, using its tail and legs to push itself of the ground. Kong Ape is hunted much less, due to the aggressive nature of the primate. The ape also seems to have natural hatred toward the reptile and is not tolerant when the crawler is in sight at all.

Reproduction of Skullcrawler is still largely unknown as they tends to mate and spawn underground. Gravid female is believed to go on hiberntion for a long time before she spawn. Hatchling and juvenile crawler are left to look for themselves since they were born and dig their way up to the surface. They are often cannibalized by the adult and preyed upon by other smaller predators as well.

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I am sorry if this is kinda rushed. I had little to no time at all until the deadline. Also, my digital pen won't connect with my laptop. How horrible was that?!!

Skullcrawler (c) Legendary

Description
Entry for 's Speculative Evolution Challenge

Pheeew! Almost too late!

A beast isolated from the world we know and evolved up in the land far beyond our imagination. Deep in a mysterius island in the middle of the enraged ocean known as Skull Island, there thrives a large predatory reptilian, the Skullcrawler (Craniosaurus sarcophilus). As one of the super predator of its ecosystem, this terrifying creature strikes fear into every inhabitors of Skull Island.

It's a large animal. Skullcrawler lengths up to 12 metres and weights up to a tons. The creature crawls on 2 enlarged front legs, powerful enough to push this monster in short range burst, in contrast, its hind legs are vestigial and shrinked. Its thickened head is smooth and white in color, similar to a bare skull of demised animal and its robust body, lies thick osteoderms along its back and at the end, it long powerful tail...

While this creature looks like some kind of strange lizard, Skullcrawler has a much more bizarre origin. Its skull lacks any visible fenestrae and its ribs are fused together. This is the very last, remaining basal member of a clade called Pantestudine, a clade that included turtles and tortoises' line age. It's believed that the line age that gave rise to Skullcrawler diversed from those that became Testudine since late Triassic period. Even if nowaday, the only of its relative are turtles and tortoises, Skullcrawler are only distantly related. It's fused skull evolved independently from Testudine as the result of living underground and primarily using their head to dig, similar to the unrelated Amphisbaenians.

Skullcrawler still retrains the trait of its ancestor. It mainly stays underground. However due to its size, the crawler can only submerges in place and not actively travel underground. It's an ambush predator. With its tough head and powerful claws, it can dig up large amount of earth to hide itself, setting up trap for any passing prey, which once approaches the area, the Skullcrawler springs out and charges in with short, high speed. It overpowers its prey with its powerful jaws and sharp teeth, pinning them down before brutally rip the head or neck of prey apart.

Skullcrawler has large variety of prey. Being the top predator of its range, it can take on even two of the largest creatures on the island, the Skull Island Bush-horned Buffalo (Elaphrobulbalus giganteus), which could weight up to 5 tons, and the slightly lighter but taller Kong Ape (Poseidopithecus rex). Skullcrawler usually target smaller buffalo, but fully grown bull is also heard to be attacked and killed by the reptile. Skullcrawler can surprisingly leaps up high enough to pounce upon the buffalo, using its tail and legs to push itself of the ground. Kong Ape is hunted much less, due to the aggressive nature of the primate. The ape also seems to have natural hatred toward the reptile and is not tolerant when the crawler is in sight at all.

Reproduction of Skullcrawler is still largely unknown as they tends to mate and spawn underground. Gravid female is believed to go on hiberntion for a long time before she spawn. Hatchling and juvenile crawler are left to look for themselves since they were born and dig their way up to the surface. They are often cannibalized by the adult and preyed upon by other smaller predators as well.

----------------------

I am sorry if this is kinda rushed. I had little to no time at all until the deadline. Also, my digital pen won't connect with my laptop. How horrible was that?!!

Skullcrawler (c) Legendary