Shardreck
Often just called a Dreck, A Shardreck is a six legged beast of burden that moves with a Bipod Gait, has rough scaly leathery skin, and an iridescent boney frill around its neck. A Shardreck stands over 2 meters tall and is over 8 meters long and is used in much of Eastern Cresshar for anything from military service to plowing fields.
Give me an 10 Ides worth of Shooters and a commander that can hold her own and not one Shardreck riding barbarian will cross this bridge.-General Dharman before her rout at the battle drecks' revenge
Basic Information
Anatomy
A shar dreck has a long low appearance with six legs extending down from its torso at regular intervals and a leathery ridge of spines running down its back. These spines can be extended allowing leathery skin to be stretched between its back and the spine. These flexible spines can be used in communication as well as a way to regulate its temperature. The Dreck also has a bony frill that rings its neck and is used for protection. The males frill is also iridescent and in the wild was used for attracting a mate. The more multicolored the frill the more success a dreck had in attracting a mate. Attached to and bordering the lower part of the frill are two sharpened tusks. These tusks can be used for protection and a way to cut through tough vegetation.
A dreck during the day a dreck raises its spines and pumps massive amounts of blood through the spine to cool off. During the day the dreck also consumes a vast quantity of vegetation to build up a large supply of subcutaneous fat to use as a energy source during the long night. A night is enters a more dormant state and uses its mass and other nearby dreck to stay warm. A drecks body temperature during the day can reach up to 43 C, but during the night its temperature can plunge to 33 C. Although in this hypothermic state it is very lethargic.
Ecology and Habitats
The drecks are a keystone species on plains of cresshar, They wander the plains consuming a enormous quanity of grassy vegatation, and radically shaping the enviroment.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Dreck's can metabolize almost any plant matter and are not picky about what vegatation they consume. Yet the consume a vast quanity of vegatation to build up its fat reserves. However, people on Didome have discoved that while a Dreck will consume vast amounts of vegatation, one can drastically limit a Drecks food supply as long as during the night it has a heated place to stay.
Shardreck by Cory Brooke-deBock
Scientific Name
Shar Dreckian
Origin/Ancestry
Sharian
Lifespan
20 - 50 days
Average Height
2.0 meters tall at its mid back
Average Weight
3500kg-5000kg
Average Length
7-8 meters counting its tail
Geographic Distribution
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