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ohmygiddyaunt — Horse-Cat concept art
Published: 2013-11-28 13:48:37 +0000 UTC; Views: 2220; Favourites: 46; Downloads: 11
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Description
The Horse-Cat is curiously very similar to the Pig-Bear. You can recognize a very similar cranial structure, especially in its two evident canines. However, it’s necessary to remark it exists important differences that make it be really far in the genealogical tree. The presence of a pair of open holes in its nasal cavity, the paw shape, as well as the configuration of the mouth, are a few things that fix this species in a more distant place in Gallifreyan evolution.
Physical Appearance
Regarding its size, a standing Horse-Cat is about the height of a dromedary – 2 metres -, and 3.5 meters from the head to the tail.
The weight is around a half of a tonne.
The paws are very similar to a koala’s. They are prehensile, in the front ones two has been fused to what it would be a thumb. The back ones are completely opposed and claw-shaped. They are completely adapted to the kind of land where it lives.
The fur has grey tones and it’s noticeable the presence of red scratches. The colour beige covers most part of the belly.
Eyes are red and at both sides of the skull for a 360º view. They can see in a spectrum that includes part of ultraviolet light.
Its whiskers help it to the orientation in a 3D environment.
It lacks vocal cords.
A big-sized brain in comparison with its body.
The horn things over its eyes are what the most remarkable feature of all its body. See Reproduction.
Evolution
The Horse-Cat comes from the same animal class than the Pig-Bear – designed by UNISYC of Earth in 2446 as Therioforms, they are a branch evolutionarily in degeneration -, they possess mammalish features. But there is a fundamental difference between the two species: the open nasal cavity the Horse-Cat shelters in its cranial built is completely missed in a Pig-Bear skull. Said hollow is covered by a thin layer of skin that can be vibrated to produce a buzzing noise.
Ecosystem
The most part of the subspecies live in ground mangrove-like meadows on the Continent of the Wild Endeavor, near to the equator, between the Death Zone, the Citadel and Mount Cadon. This unique ecosystem consists in a thick carpet of intertwined vines and risen roots, plants in symbiosis with other kinds of plants, and fungus. Its hands allow it to move perfectly through the land.
Feeding
Despite its feline appearance, its eyes, situated at both sides of the head instead forward, give evidences of playing a prey role in the feed line. Rather contrary to what its canines indicate – a prominent carnivorous nature –, it can be seriously contradictory. However, the answer is easy : the Horse-Cat its mostly fungivore.
Unlike Earth fungus, an less developed alien with an evolutionary convergence to Gallifreyan “mushrooms”, they has been a success and mainly diversified in mobile bodies. Their locomotion system has been improving with the pass of the million of years, resulting fully comparable to animal capability.
The preys of Horse-Cat are nothing like that. They’re slow, primitive, a branch that forked from the main one considerably early, so their slowness can be wonderfully used by the Horse-Cat as an advantage. Absurdly easy to be hunted, a mutation in their gen favoured the development of a shell hard enough to resist the attacks of the predator.
And, in answer, the predator developed a better set of teeth (if it’s allowed a Lamarckist expression) in order to open those shells.
Reproduction
It’s a gendered species.
Males have fuchsia-coloured horns over the orbits to attract females.
The teeth are the most checked thing at the time of having procreation.
Domestication
It’s remarkable that the people of these wastelands domesticated the Horse-Cat due its easiness for displacement in the environment.
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Comments: 1
Cool. It looks like a large lystrosaurus with eyes a sheep and ossicones like a giraffe.
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