Vanandra
Vanandra are giant amphibious salamander-like creatures that live in marshy areas. Their temperaments and diets vary widely based on their environments; despite the variation, vanandra are generally known as good mounts and pleasant farm animals.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Vanandra are similar in size to the closely-related falksurr, standing at 3 feet in height and a sprawling gait. They can reach over 20 feet in length from head to tail tip, their tails stretching nearly half of that length. Their tails are thick and muscled, and they use four clawed toes on either foot and sharpened teeth to hunt fish and eat waterweeds.
Their tails are detachable and can be used for both offensive and defensive situations; after some rest and a few meals, a vanandra's tail will grow back and be available again for attacking or detaching.
Vanandra have a thick, cool mucous that covers their entire bodies. This mucous needs to be maintained for the vanandra to live happy and healthy lives.
Their tails are detachable and can be used for both offensive and defensive situations; after some rest and a few meals, a vanandra's tail will grow back and be available again for attacking or detaching.
Vanandra have a thick, cool mucous that covers their entire bodies. This mucous needs to be maintained for the vanandra to live happy and healthy lives.
Genetics and Reproduction
Similar to the falksurr, vanandra lay large pods of eggs in shallow pools. They do not generally care for their young.
Growth Rate & Stages
Eggs are lain in pools of shallow water. The temperature of the water during the eggs' incubation determines the vanandra's temperament. Hatched vanandra larvae fill the pool of their birth until living there is no longer sustainable, and they travel toward larger bodies of water. Generally, they stay in the water until they have reached half of their adult size, and then they become more comfortable traveling larger distances for new marshes. Vanandra never fully adapt to the land, however, and only traverse it to find better pools to live in. They normally only eat water-dwelling creatures and plants.
Ecology and Habitats
Unlike the falksurr, vanandra can live in warm, temperate, or even cold environments, so long as they are able to stay damp. Vanandra are capable of breathing air and water, and can withstand fire swamp and hot spring temperatures, but they prefer to live just outside of these areas.
Hot water vanandra are known to be the most aggressive of the species. This is believed to be the case because hot water vanandra must compete with falksurr for food and territory. Still, they lack the steadiness on land that falksurr have and prefer to fight in bodies of water, though they have been known to attack on land if desperate enough. Hot water vanandra hatch when the temperature of the water incubating the eggs has been consistently over 25C/77F. They have the strongest resistance to the heat and fire, and can live in the fire swamps if necessary, but they prefer to steer clear of areas with lava pools.
Temperate vanandra are viewed as traditional, normal vanandra. They are the gentlest of the vanandra sub-varieties, viewed as bumbling gentle giants. They are not particularly intelligent, unlike cold water vanandra, and thus harder to train complex commands, but they remain consistent mounts and great farm animals. Temperate vanandra hatch in consistently 10-25C/50-77F degree environments.
Cold water or winter vanandra are an uncommon but prized sub-variety of the vanandra. They are not as aggressive as the hot water vanandra, but they are skittish and can be aggressive if they feel threatened. They are the most intelligent of the sub-varieties, and can therefore learn more complex commands. Winter vanandra hatch in 10C/50F degree water and below, and can live in frigid temperatures and icy ponds so long as there is food available.
Hot water vanandra are known to be the most aggressive of the species. This is believed to be the case because hot water vanandra must compete with falksurr for food and territory. Still, they lack the steadiness on land that falksurr have and prefer to fight in bodies of water, though they have been known to attack on land if desperate enough. Hot water vanandra hatch when the temperature of the water incubating the eggs has been consistently over 25C/77F. They have the strongest resistance to the heat and fire, and can live in the fire swamps if necessary, but they prefer to steer clear of areas with lava pools.
Temperate vanandra are viewed as traditional, normal vanandra. They are the gentlest of the vanandra sub-varieties, viewed as bumbling gentle giants. They are not particularly intelligent, unlike cold water vanandra, and thus harder to train complex commands, but they remain consistent mounts and great farm animals. Temperate vanandra hatch in consistently 10-25C/50-77F degree environments.
Cold water or winter vanandra are an uncommon but prized sub-variety of the vanandra. They are not as aggressive as the hot water vanandra, but they are skittish and can be aggressive if they feel threatened. They are the most intelligent of the sub-varieties, and can therefore learn more complex commands. Winter vanandra hatch in 10C/50F degree water and below, and can live in frigid temperatures and icy ponds so long as there is food available.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Generally fish and snails, small frogs or other smaller amphibians if possible, and any aquatic or semi aquatic plants available in the water they currently reside in. If hungry enough, they will eat land plants, but they do not hunt on land.
Additional Information
Domestication
Vanandra tend to be moderately easy to domesticate, particularly when harvesting their eggs for domestication. Farmers and breeders are able to easily control and determine the temperament of vanandra by altering the temperature of their hatching pools.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
Vanandra are common mounts in swampy and marshy areas, where they can comfortably travel on land and in water. Domesticated, they are also used as meat sources. Vanandra tails can be harvested safely from the creatures and can feed a family of faery well for some time.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Vanandra have very poor eyesight but a strong sense of smell and powerful tremorsensing abilities. They use these latter senses to feed and move around effectively. The sun inhibits their eyesight more, nearly blinding them, although this does not stop them from moving during the day if they are hungry or feel threatened.
Genetic Descendants
Scientific Name
Muirthiria vanandreis
Average Height
.7 - 1 m
Average Weight
180 - 240 kg
Average Length
6 - 9 m
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Hot water vanandra are generally red, brown, or black in color, usually with faint splotches of lighter or darker color.
Temperate vanandra tend to be orange-brown, green, dusty-brown, or yellow in color, with stripes of lighter color that stretch the length of the amphibian's body.
Cold water vanandra have cool-toned bodies, coming in grays, whites and cremes, blues, and black, with spotting of lighter or darker colors.
Temperate vanandra tend to be orange-brown, green, dusty-brown, or yellow in color, with stripes of lighter color that stretch the length of the amphibian's body.
Cold water vanandra have cool-toned bodies, coming in grays, whites and cremes, blues, and black, with spotting of lighter or darker colors.
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