Sand walker

In the vast expanse of the Crystal Sands, there lives the humble, yet giant, Sand walker. While these creatures aren't to say, normal, they are more recognizable as an animal than many other species. Their large gray bulk lumbers across the desert, often acumulating a company of small creatures, the Sail runners, which will be later discussed. These giant beasts lack a bottom jaw, and feed by shooting out barbed tendrils that, opon finding a plant or animal of any kind, quickly drain it of all juices, leaving a withered, empty corpse behind. Naturally, being a large animal, they come to find themselves covered in parasites. This is where the Sail runners come in. In this alien symbiosis, the Sail runners eat parasites and other bothersome animals on/near the walker, and in return, it provides them with protection.

Basic Information

Anatomy

This tall, four-legged creature is an omnivore, eating whatever it can, whenever it can. Without a bottom jaw, their tendrils can hang freely, or fixed at the base of tooth structures. While they usually are seen slowly walking through the heat, if frightened, they can sprint at nearly thirty miles per hour, extremely fast for an 80 foot tall behemoth. As for skin type, it has similar skin as a rhino or elephant, thick and armored. Along their upper arm and tail, grow quills, the longest of which growing seven feet long, which serve two purposes. The first being protection, the second being water collection. During the night, the temperature drops, thus letting fog or dew set in, and getting caught on these quills, the water flows downwards and is absorbed into the skin.

Biological Traits

These creatures have long legs, big feet used to stay above the sand, and are very elephantine in looks.

Genetics and Reproduction

In this species, like earth creatures, there are males and females. In the end of the dry season, the males produce deep, thunderous calls and stomp their feet aggressively to attract females. If two males find each other, they fight until one is on the ground. the dominant male goes on to mate with the females. There are two specialized tendrils on the front of the skull that act as reproductive organs, a safer route than the standard method we see on earth. When mating is done, the female goes on to produce a single live young. They are born in the beginning of the wet season, about ten months after mating. In that time the young must gorge itself with whatever it can find, or they die of hunger withing days.

Growth Rate & Stages

The young, known as a stutter when still under the mother's protection, must eat half it's body weight a day to account for the fast growth. A newborn will usually weigh about half a ton and be seven feet tall, in two weeks, they will weigh 5,000 lbs and be twenty feet tall. After they reach a similar size to the mother, she drives off the young, after shaking off a few runners from her back to give to the baby.

Ecology and Habitats

This creature lives in probably the harshest region of Animoterra, the Crystal sands. The sand in this location is made primarily of quartz and is razor shard. To account for this, their skin is extremely thick, to allow them to lay down and rest. Their feet are also large to prevent sinking, like many desert animals on earth.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Due to their large size, or perhaps despite it, they only need to eat every few weeks, but jump on the chance to eat when possible. Mainly walking in a loop around the desert in a spiral inward, then outward again, in a never ending cycle, until the reach the sea. The whole trip inward and back takes a few years. Now what is interesting is that when some sleep, they lay down and slightly bury their head and tail, the reason to this is unknown.

Biological Cycle

The lifespan of this creature is extremely long, some recorded specimens reaching the age of five hundred and fifty! While they aren't the most adaptable creature, they know their ways well. Each year, at the start of the wet season, they gorge themselves on all new plants that are growing.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Only traveling alone among their species, they don't take other members of their species kindly. If two males find each other, one will surely die, leaving all the runners quick to join this new symbiote.

Domestication

Any attempts to domesticate this behemoth has gone terribly wrong.

Facial characteristics

Their face is a thing that leaves much to be desired, they have no bottom jaw, so you can see directly into their mouth. Lacking eyes, they have ear holes like that of, say, lizards.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Distributed around the Crystal Sands

Average Intelligence

They have a symbiosis, which in turn proves they are at least semi-intelligent

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

While they do not have eyes, therefore sight, they do have other means of location food and danger. At the base of the skull, they have a pair of antennae-like structures used to smell the environment around them. In addition, they also have a good sense of hearing, imperative for hearing footsteps on sand, especially when there is nowhere to hide.

Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms

They share a symbiosis with the Sail runner. They provide the small animals with protection and the runners provide the walker with pest removal services. The species of parasites on a single walker is immense, but they all essentially are the same thing, a body with hooks for legs and a piercing mouth.

Scientific Name

Griseo Desertum

Origin/Ancestry

Most likely developed within the desert

Lifespan

300-500 years old

Conservation Status

This species is not threatened or endangered, and thus, not much is done for their survival. Their inhospitable habitat proves effective in only allowing the most equipped to enter.

Average Height

Over 80 feet tall, males can reach 100 if given enough time.

Average Weight

No actual weighing has been done, but estimates level around 60 tons

Average Length

roughly 40-50 feet

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Grey tones, sometimes tans. Along the face and body you can see 'freckling'. Thats about as far as patterning goes.