Mage of Mist's flora and fauna

I have decided to put up some of my ideas on animal and plant life in Felarya, feel free to criticize my work as the help would be greatly appreciated ^^;

(Doll Divine's game Draconis Siirexus was used in creation of the apperance of the Drithe.)

Apperance:


Male:

Male: 15 to 17 foot

Female:

Female: 12 to 14 foot

Hatchling:

Hatchlings: Start at 5 foot

Biology: The Drithes are bipedal reptiles with the anatomical structure that is suggestive of an ancient dinosaur specie of an unknown world. They have thick scaly hides which protects them from most attackers, the tops of their bodies being the toughest and the belly being the softest. Their green coloration aids them in camouflaging in the jungles of Felarya helping them avoid most predators. The males have longer tails with spikes on the end which they use to defend their herd from most threats, they also have a claw on the backs of their feet for defending the herd and fighting against rival males and the large frill on their backs is for for intimidating both threats and rival males.
Both males and females have crops, which are pretty much storage stomachs for carrying excess food so nothing goes to waste. However only the females produce the crop milk for feeding the young.
Both females and males spend most of the morning time sunbathing to gain energy for the day. At night they all group up in a safe area and rest, some staying awake to watch out for danger.

Diet: The Drithe mainly feasts on leaves, fruits, nuts and berries of the surrounding flora. Though it has been shown that these creatures can eat meat as males sometimes bring the female meat as a gift during their mating season to please her. Both genders are known to scavenge for meat and large bugs when there isn't any edible flora around. They are known to eat around 3 kilo a day of plant matter.

Sociology:
The Drithe are a specie of omnivorous reptiles that reside deep in the jungles of Felarya. They are known to be very curious, intelligent and social creatures, forming herds around 10 to 40 individuals and all being lead by the Alpha male and female, who are normally the largest in the herd. They communicate mainly through body language in order to avoid alerting predators. But if a member of the herd is separated they are known to make hauntingly beautiful calls that echo throughout the jungle in order to locate the lost herd member.
When threatened by creatures smaller or slightly bigger than them the Drithe form a circle around the young, injured and old in order to protect them from the threat. But if a giant predator attacked them the Dirthe will flee.

During mating season the males will often fight over a female they like, though the fights are never fatal. First they try to intimidate each-other with their frills, size and how loud they can roar. If neither male backs off then they will butt heads trying to lock horns along with kicking the opponent in attempt to knock him over, the one who is knocked over or backs off has lost and needs to find another mate interest. Though, it isn't over yet for the victor, as he and his chosen mate need to do a mating dance in order to impress her fully. If he succeeds he gets to mate.
Drithe mate for life, and after the male mates with the female they will spend the rest of their lives together and will even die together.

Gestation, incubation, hatchlings and crop milk:
It takes roughly 5 to 6 months after conception for a female Drithe to lay her eggs in which they search out safe nesting sites, such as caves, to lay their eggs. An average female normally lays 3 to 4 eggs in a nest and after laying the eggs the female Drithe needs to keep the eggs warm by lying against them and covering and uncovering them in dirt and rotting leaves. The males have to gather food, water and nesting material for their mates during the nesting time as the mother will dedicate herself to her brood.
After around 4 to 5 weeks of attentive brooding the eggs will hatch into the young Drithe hatchlings, which have a paler colouration compared to the adults and are a lot more delicate. Normally the young are able to stand up after 4 to 5 minutes after hatching to take their first, albeit shaky, steps with the help of their parents.

Females will begin to produce crop milk a couple of days before the eggs are due to hatch. The mother Drithe will cease to eat most berries and fruit at this point in order to be able to provide the hatchlings with milk uncontaminated by seeds, which the very young hatchlings would be unable to digest. The hatchlings are fed on pure crop milk for the first 3 weeks of life. After this the mother will begin to introduce a proportion of adult food, softened by spending time in the moist conditions of the adult crop, into the mix fed to the hatchlings, until by the end of the third week the hatchlings are being fed entirely on the softened adult food.

Crop milk is a semi-solid substance somewhat like a pale yellow cottage cheese and is extremely high in protein and fat and contains more of it than cow or human milk. It contains anti-oxidants and immune-enhancing factors. Like mammalian milk, crop milk contains IgA antibodies. Unlike mammalian milk, which is an emulsion, the crop milk consists of a suspension of protein rich and fat rich cells that proliferate and detach from the lining of the crop.
Lactation in the Drithe is controlled by prolactin, the same hormone in mammals.

My my. Well firstly let me say this is an interesting idea, however I have some questions:

Quote :

he Drithe mainly feasts on leaves, fruits, nuts and berries of the surrounding flora. Though it has been shown that these creatures can eat meat

If you haven't noticed in Felarya, mostly it's a good idea to have you omnivores well...vore. As in swallow whole. When you say meat I assume you mean killed meat, yes? Even Kensha's try to swallow other creature whole if they can. I also think you missed out with following the picture and having spines. Such creatures wouldn't be bad mounts without them. The Trapper in me wants to get my hands on those tail spikes and see how good of a weapon they'd be. Also you didn't mention their habitat of choice, where do they live? Ah and the finaly vexing question: Where does the crop milk come from? O.O Reptiles don't have udders as far as I know so....<.<

Crop milk comes from the crop, explorer: a smaller stomach whose walls basically slough off and melt when it's time to feed chicks. It's not really milk, though it's controlled by the same hormone- it's more like their stomach melts and is puked off. Reminds me of an ugly joke in Partially Clips.

WARNING- ANIMAL CRUELTY:

So, a herd theropod herbivore with birdlike traits... was it inspired in the Therizinosaur?

Well you did a good job at giving a detailed description of them I think. That makes them easy to visualize
My main remark is that they seem a little generic... I mean it's a dinosaur type of creature I could expect to see in many fantasy settings and not specifically in Felarya ^^;

Stabs wrote:

Crop milk comes from the crop, explorer: a smaller stomach whose walls basically slough off and melt when it's time to feed chicks. It's not really milk, though it's controlled by the same hormone- it's more like their stomach melts and is puked off. Reminds me of an ugly joke in Partially Clips.

Oooh I get it now. *Nods then winces* Blegh. XP Well I guess when your desperate for something protein rich in Felarya. Me? I'm sticking to Nutrish-N Bars.

Its not as disgusting as it sounds, think about milk, its sweat and fat. In essence boobs are sweat glands so swelled up that they distort the body.

That doesn't make it less disgusting - rather, you just made boobs disgusting. HOW COULD YOU DO THIS FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF-
xP

*takes a deep breath* Here will be a MASSIVE idea dump of some ideas I made, some more detailed than others ^^;

Ipid:
Size: 3 to 4 feet

These small goat like antelopes are relatives to the duiker that reside in the northern lands of Felarya and on tall mountains. The upper side of its body is colored white with the underside of its body being a light shade of blue. Their hooves are colored black. Because they live in the coldest climates, they have adapted to their environment by growing a triple layer of fur. The outer fur is extremely soft and fine, and often coated with ice in the wild. The second layer is very thick and slightly oily, an adaptation which keeps out moisture. The third and final layer consists of thick, wiry hair that weaves itself together close to the skin, acting as an insulator against the high winds. Very fine hairs also grow around their hooves, allowing them to jump and run on the icy rocks with very few slips.

They may sound like it is all fluff, but that is hardly the case. Their horns begin to grow before they are born, so even an infant Ipid have two sharp defensive weapons to help protect it, as they are born the horns have a special film covering them to prevent the mother from being harmed and are licked off afterwards by the mother in question. These horns spiral ever thicker and longer, and are an effective tool at helping to determine their age. When two Ipid have an argument, they may resort to using their horns on each other; locking their horns together and twisting and pulling each other until one finally breaks away in an admission of defeat. Another source of defense for the Ipid is the long ears. It is very difficult to sneak up on one of them when it is in its natural habitat, though its sense of smell and vision are average at best.

Unlike duiker, the ipid are more bolder, but still rather skittish and can be tamed by a very paitent person. Their heavy fur is often harvested in warmer months in order to weave a warm, thick cloth. Most of them enjoy the harvesting process. It involves combing the layers of fur with special brushes, relieving the itch they feel when warm weather triggers a shedding stage.

- - - -

The Oamu:
Size: 9 foot tall - 6 foot long

Locations: Tolmeshal forest, Chidokai forest, Jungle Bowl, Misty Glade, Great Rocky Fields, Some domesticated ones can be found in settlements where human-sized races live.

Description: These large birds possess a red collar similar to a ruff at the start of their long, thick necks and have a glossy green and gold coloration and the plumage of its fanned tail is also quite colorful, alternating between red, gold, blue and purple. It has gold feathers at the tip of its large wings and has gold and white stripes going down it's throat that lead from the top its head to half way down it's underside. They have a large black beak that they use in cracking nuts. It has two long, grey and strong running legs with three clawed toes, which can deliver a very powerful kick if threatened. Males have a gold and red feathered-crest and the feathers on the head-crest are nearly as long as its body.

While flightless, the Oamu are strong runners, jumpers and decent swimmers. A healthy adult can run at speeds over 20 mph. Whilst these large birds often look rather threatening to humans, these ornamental birds are mostly harmless, being herbivorous, foraging across the ground for fallen fruit and nuts, but are proven to be omnivores as they occasionally eat tinies they come across whole and alive when foraging. They are very social creatures, often forming medium-sized flocks and have a relatively gentle demeanor around human sized creatures, but can get startled rather easily without proper training. Due to the Oamu's size, speed, strength and gentle nature, many human sized races use these birds as mounts though due to their speed and strength, training is often required to ride them safely.

Picture of a male Oamu: http://themageofmist.deviantart.com/art/The-Oamu-408392436

- - - -

Hiozlon:
These mysterious creatures lurk in evernight forest, they resemble large, quadruped felines, like black panthers. It's tail and shoulders are tipped with large fanned blood-red, reflective feathers that are golden tipped. Its fur is black with maroon spots, with the exception of its gold-rimmed ears and brown head. They have golden markings around their eyes, around the neck and across their kneecaps on all four legs. Like cats, they are capable of retracting its golden claws and bringing them out again when needed. Their lithe muscles enable it to walk without making a sound, allowing it to sneak up on it's prey with ease.

Adult Hiozlon are usually loners, tolerating the company of others grudgingly but preferring their solitude. The exception to this is young of their own species and those few individuals they bond with. Only one adult will remain with the young once they are born. This is as much for the protection of those around them as it is for the young. The adults teach the young to hunt by blinding their prey with reflections of light off their feathers and to contain their enthusiasm and curiosity. Even when they go their separate ways, the pair will never forget each other and enjoy the occasional reunion. Cubs however are often described as fluffy bundles of mischievous love. They are curious by nature and like to get into absolutely anything they can. They will knock over trash cans and sneak into houses just to see what's inside. They have been known to wake entire neighborhoods with their nocturnal antics, though as they get older they become more solitary.

Although Hiozlon are popular for their elegance as an exotic pet, they are extremely difficult to raise. Underneath its refined facade is a fierce predator. It will scratch and bite anyone, including its owner, with little or no provocation. One should be wary if it raises its tail and feathers straight up, as it is a signal that it is about to pounce and bite.

- - - -

The Teggle

Size:
12 inches long nose to base of tail
40 inches long nose to tip of tail.

Weight: 4.3 lbs.

Description:
These small critters have a squirrel like body with a long, prehensile tail that have a tuft of fur on each side, these tufts of fur stiffen when gliding, acting as a rudder. They have very large and alert eyes and ears, a thick, soft furcoat that is usually blue-grey, though some have been known to be yellow, tan or rarely albino. Its belly, throat, and chest are cream in colour and males possess a dense and soft cream mane around their necks. They have mouse like 'hands' and rabbit like feet. The females have a marsupium (pouch) in the middle of her stomach to carry her offspring.
Though their most striking feature is the membrane, that extends from the fifth finger to the first toe. When legs are stretched out, this membrane allows the  to glide a considerable distance.

Behavior and diet:
The Teggle are nocturnal creatures and their large eyes help them to see at night, and their ears swivel to help locate prey in the dark. They are normally very shy and timid creatures, running away and hiding from creatures bigger than them, though it has been known for juvinile Teggles to steal from travlers and adventuers. They eat fruit and insects, jumping off branches and gliding to the nearest tree to look for any hidden treats the trees might be hiding. They are known to be very curious, playful and social creatures. Living in small family groups and engage in social grooming, which in addition to improving hygiene and health, helps bond the colony and establish group identity. A dominant adult male will mark his territory and members of the group with saliva and a scent produced by separate glands on the forehead and chest. Intruders who lack the appropriate scent marking are most likely expelled violently. Within the colony, typically no fighting takes place beyond a little threatening behaviour.

Whilst they are shy and timid to things bigger than them, they are very popular pets due to their cute looks, small size and personality. If raised from a young age, they will cast the person that raised them as their parent and forms a very strong bond with their 'mother' or 'father', the Teggle will still hide away from people they don't know, but with enough time and seeing their parents acting friendly to the new person/creature, the Teggle will become less shy.

- - - -

Name: Uvres

Size:
Males: 5 feet and 20 inches
Females: 5 feet

Description:
These are large creatures that bear similarities to both birds and reptiles. Its head is colored blue on top and red on the bottom. The males body and long neck are covered with yellow feathers. they have blue and red feathers designed for flight and black coverts on its large, wing-like arms. Males have a light-blue crest on their heads.
Females are allot duller, having a light and dark brown feathers, with black coverts on their wing-like arms.
Both the males and females wings bear sharp claws.

They have long, red, scaily legs that help them in outrunning danger and in getting enough speed for take off. It has long thin tail that is completely red and featherless, except for a fan of blue feathers at the end. It has fully-movable vertebrae in its tail. Its beak jagged, helping stop fish and eels from escaping it's maw.

Behavior, Diet + Habitat: These strange avions are normally found by lakes, streams, rivers and small groups may be found near oceans. This is mainly due to their diet of fish and seaweed/riverweed/pondweed. They live in flocks of 5 to 15 and can are always on high alert for any danger, running as fast as their legs can take them and then taking off into the skies of they feel they have to.
They wade through the water with their long legs slowly to search for prey, as soon as they spot a fish (Or tiny mermaid) they will quickly pluck them from the water, swallowing them whole easily.

On early mornings one may hear the calls of these birds, which are very beutiful (Yet annoying if they woke you up.) It is mainly the males who make these calls to attract mates, declair territory or just be noisy. Their 'songs' consist of whistles, chirps, squarks and meeps. Though they are great at mimicking other sounds and some have been known to sing songs that they heard from mermaids! Though it isn't as effective as a mermaids song, the female Uvres are often impressed by the males who sing it and choose them as mates.

Some giants capture Uvres as pets, though it is possible for human sized people to catch them, it is allot harder. Many people like teaching them to talk and sing, though to them the words are just a part of their songs so they will say things at random... Though there have been cases of some Uvres associating certain words/songs with people and creatures, some males even doing the 'wolf-whistle' to certain females that walk past, which many people find adorable.

- - - -

Morri:

Height:  5 feet head to ground.
Length: 17 feet head to tail.
            10 feet head to tail base.

Morri are mostly black in color, but have several grey markings on their body along with a light grey underbelly, long rabbit-like ears and 4 large amber eyes. When in the active form they are surrounded by a blood red acid. The acid in it's passive form is black with grey markings and solid, making up most of the body, whilst when active it is a striking blood red colour and is like a thick liquid.

The young Morri struggle with controlling their bodies acidic nature and crawl about hunting with their acidic body that pools under them, but as they get older they learn to control their bodies better, becoming more solid and developing a forked tongue that can easily strip a stalk of wheat, or reach up to harvest fruit from a tree, a lengthy serpent-like tail can wrap around an object and constrict with enough strength to break it and webbed hands and feet for swimming when in the passive state. Though they aren't completely harmless as they can spit acid and even secrete it even when in it's passive state. Some Morri have learned to melt into acid completely, allowing them to slip through the smallest of openings in order to get to food if somehow their long tongues can't reach the food.

Sinuous and flexible, the Morri can bend itself in astonishing ways and if it so desires, it can actually tie itself into knots. The Morri is also capable of eating something it's own size whole with ease. Also you should be careful if you observe this liquid around it, or if it appears to be secreting fluids, as prolonged contact can cause minor burns to unprotected skin.

Whilst they look fearsome and intimidating, the Morri is very easy to tame. All you have to do is feed one once and you have a friend for life and lifelong guard dog. They are mostly independant and don't do tricks unless food is offered, but if they sense their owner is upset, they will smother their owner with affection.

- - - -

Specie: Viaroet

Sizes:
Male: 16 foot
Female: 13 foot

Weight:
Male: 306 kg
Female: 167 kg

Apperance + Fur Coat:
The Viaroet has a powerfully built, athletic, and imposing appearance. The planes of the muzzle and the top of the skull are parallel, with a slight but distinct stop and the muzzle is well rounded. The eyes are medium sized and almond shaped. The downy undercoat is soft and keeps the canine cool in summer and warm in winter. The undercoat sheds in the spring and fall. Ther undercoat is covered by a long, dense, coarse outer coat that is water-resistant and slightly wavy. It sheds in small amounts throughout the year. It has a mane of thick fur around its neck, which is quite impressive in the males and adds an illusion of additional size. This mane is more like a notable ruff around the neck in females. They have feathers about the legs, a heavily feathered tail that is carried over its back, a petticoat on the abdomen and a frill on the hindquarters. The ears are semi-prick, with the upper third folded over.

There are 5 colours; wolf-grey, yellow-grey, silver-grey, red and white. Because the wolf-grey genes are dominant, this is the most common colour. All have white coat areas, in the collar, parts of the leg and the tail tip. There can be some mutations in colouration such as light golden, dark golden colours and solid black.

Males should be distinctly more masculine than females, who are finer boned, smaller, and often have a slightly shorter coat. The most prominent feature of the dog is its long tusks. These are elongated canines, which are present in both sexes and can reach a length of 3 ft 3 inches and can weigh up to 5.4 kg. Tusks are slightly longer and thicker among males, which use them for fighting, dominance and display; the strongest male with the largest tusks is typically the Alpha of the pack. Also females mainly chose the males with the biggest manes and longest tusks to be her mate.

Temperment, Diet and Reproduction:
The Viaroet has a rather diverse temperment, ranging from shy and timid, friendly and confident to sometimes agressive and territorial. This affects the Viaroet's place in the pack, shy and timid ones are normally the Omegas, whilst Friendly and confidant and agressive and territorial are often the Betas and Alphas of the pack. Though they all have one thing in common, they are very loyal to their pack. Their large packs of around 20 Viaroet, take turns hunting and patrolling their territory. When one member of the pack is injured the rest will take turns guarding them and nursing them until they are fully healed. They also take turns caring for the elderly and pups, working as a single, cohesive family unit at all times.
The pack rarely holds grudges against their own. However, should another pack venture into their territory, they are likely to hold a grudge for many years. They mostly prey on larger animals, but in hard times they have been known to go after smaller prey or even eat berries.

A female Viaroet has an average of 4 to 5 pups in a litter, so the pups always have someone to play with and practice the skills they need as an adult. The pups are very inquisitive and playful and as they grow, they start catching small animals around their den and roughhousing more violently. Once the adults see that the pups are strong enough, they will take the pups out on hunts, teaching through observation and practice.

As Pets:
The Viaroet are very loyal and often creates strong bonds with their owners if raised as a pup by them, they enjoy the company of other Viaroet, but a devoted owner is more than enough companionship for them. Some can be quite lazy when they are not playing or working, often being seen enjoying a nap under a patch of sunlight.

Most domestic Viaroet are bred to have an even temperament and a loving personality, thus they make good family pets, particularly as they are good with children despite their large size. They are not one man dogs, and are generally equally amiable with both strangers and those familiar to them. Their trusting, gentle disposition makes them a poor guard dog, as most domestic Viaroet do nothing beyond barking and providing a visual deterrent. The typical domestic Viaroet is calm, naturally intelligent and biddable, with an exceptional eagerness to please their owners. They love to work and please, and adults have a keen ability to focus on a given task and will even work until they collapse, so care should be taken to avoid overworking them.

They aren't too picky of eaters and will eat about any kind of meat or dog food, so feeding them is not difficult. Because of their tusks, they require special feeding dishes. Although being hand fed is a treat they enjoy greatly. Viaroet should be groomed at least once a week, and every day during heavy shedding. They should be bathed around every two months.

Those are nice ideas here and well detailed

I especially like the Ipid and Hiozlon. They are solid and looks well adapted to their habitat. The Morri looks intriguing as well but I have a bit of a hard time to visualize them ^^; what do their body looks like ? I would have thought more about something reptilian but the rabbit ears kind of dispel that XD

Well, they do look reptilian but have rather long ears that resembles a rabbits. They don't have fur though XD They have really smooth, newt-like skin. I will be drawing one soon along with some of my other ideas. ^^

The ipid's really cute. Super-fluffy, super-horny, and very special.

Oamus look lovely. If I may, what made you decide for such a colorful look?

I really, really love the Hiozlon. A black panther with neon markings. I couldn't think of anything better myself.

Teggle's fine, but I don't understand how a creature with 28 feet of fluffy tail and rabbit legs can climb anything.

Uvres... 20 inches of what? 12 inches is a foot. 5 feet and 20 inches sounds like those 20 inches aren't in the same league as the other 60 feet. Sounds... dirty. Otherwise, singing pelicans is ok by me.

The morris, I like acid. So why the hell not.

Viaroet is something I'm not much into. Looks like saber-toothed big dogs to me.


And I think that's all...