Elkakla

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Elkakla is mostly lizard-like in form, with six toes on each foot and three tiny horns on the sides of it's head. It has a mouth that's drawn upward at the corners so that it looks like a large, cute smile. Their eyes appear all black and beady, and are set on the sides of the head. Their skin is mottled brown, which helps them cling to trees, and they secrete a clear, sticky substance that has very potent healing benefits, ranging from holding cuts closed to helping a failing digestive tract. It is thought that this has something to do with their regenerative properties--smaller limbs grow back in where old ones were lost.

Genetics and Reproduction

For courtship, the male will clear or flatten a patch of land in a circle by a diameter of one foot, arranging a stony nest in the middle for the female. His sticky secretion lets off a certain sour scent that attracts females, and it's so strong that it can be scented by humans for a mile. Once a female has come to his nest, the elkakla will do a mating dance for her, pushing himself up and down while simultaneously coiling and uncoiling his prehensile tail. If he's successful, the two mate and part ways. Seven months later, the female finds a nearby tree to lay her eggs under, digging a burrow beneath the roots. She'll live and rest in the tree that holds her clutch, protecting the eggs from any predators as best she can. The eggs will hatch nine weeks later, and she'll leave the babies to grow on their own. Elkaklas don't raise the children they breed, and a female will lay a clutch of 10-15 eggs, not all of which will grow to be adults.

Scientific Name

Ucoc vitalise

Origin/Ancestry

Asean

Lifespan

20 years

Conservation Status

This lizard is considered sacred, a gift sent from the gods to help human ailments. Therefore, it's considered a high crime in most places of Asea to kill it without absolute necessity (which is limited to it's death only occurring during a battle or fight for someone's life).

Average Height

2 in.

Average Weight

70-100 g.

Average Length

Without tail, 4 in., with tail (which is curled), it can get up to 7 or 8 in.