Ponookkil (Po-Nuke-Kill)
The Ponookkil. Fearsome predators of the dead-sands. Enemies of the Skel'Ouk. These fearsome creatures have somehow learned to swim through sand instead of water, and prowl the sands of The Scar, soaring out of the ground and engulfing their prey in one fell swoop. These sharks can be found anywhere between 50cm long to around 10m long in rare cases. They do not group under any circumstances, and kill anything that gets near them, leaving The Scar even more dangerous than the magic-dead desert would be otherwise.
Basic Information
Anatomy
The Ponookkil appears as a leathery, black shark, that moves through the dead sand of The Scar as if it were swimming through water. The most important part of the shark is its fins. They allow the sharks to be able to guide and lift themselves. Most Ponookkil have nine fins, eight are the same as their aquatic cousins, and the ninth is a strange adaption to living in The Scar. Sharks have a pair of pectoral fins, a pair of pelvic fins, two dorsal fins, an anal fin, and a caudal fin. The ninth fin that is specific to the Ponookill has been named the wedge fin because of its pointed shape formed over the more delicate eyes of the Ponookkil, protecting it from sand. The wedge fin erupts from either side of the sharks head and comes to a point directly in front of its snout, with the fin being made of the toughest skin on the animal.
Growth Rate & Stages
The Ponookkil develops through 3 stages in their life. As an adolescent, the sharks are quickly abandoned by their parents and forced to fend for themselves. Because they are still young and weak, these Ponookkil resort to lying in wait amongst the black sands, camouflaged and pouncing on any prey weak enough to immediately kill. As they grow, the Ponookkil grow to a larger size, and as an adult are much more dangerous and confrontational with other predators or prey. The only creature that they will run from is an old Ponookkil. This third stage in their life is called old, or great. It is rare that a Ponookkil lives long enough to become this old, and its body grows to a size twice that of an adult. It is feared by the other Ponookkil and requires several Skel'Ouk to work together to take one down. However, due to their age and larger size, the great Ponookkils are slower and hibernate regularly, meaning their threat is still lower than that of the adults.
Ecology and Habitats
The Ponookkil are a very specific species of shark that has evolved to live within The Scar. They are not seen anywhere else in the world and would quickly die out if forced to live elsewhere.
Dietary Needs and Habits
The Ponookkil has a very limited diet due to its location in The Scar. Relying on killing and eating weaker Ponookkil or feasting on the barbaric Skel'Ouk. They also have no method of storing their food, as consuming too much of the black sands would be poisonous to them, the Ponookkil cannot store any food within the sand. Because of this, they resort to feasting on whatever they can find immediately, like scavengers.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
The Ponookkil use echolocation to manoeuvre throughout the sands, relying on the echoes from footsteps above ground and sounds bouncing off harder rocks in the sand to avoid.
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