Guardian Tortoise

The guardian tortoise is a species that earned its name in the very literal sense. These giant tortoises roam the land, are herbivorous in nature, & will take advantage of their size to defend many smaller, less defended creatures from predators within the area. They are a rather common sight across Geminus Minor, with most of the settlements assembled near a guardian tortoise or in the case of the larger, more established towns, they will have a handful of them domesticated as a guaranteed form of defence.

Appearance
Guardian tortoises have a much wider size bracket than most creatures, with fully grown ones being reported between 4 metres high,3 metres wide & 5 metres long all the way to 15 metres high, 13 metres wide, & 17 metres long. Whilst the extreme ends are notably less common, the cause for this vast difference in scale isn't completely understood. The skin & shell of these tortoises are usually a rusty brown, though the exterior of their shells are slightly adhesive, with loose leaves, vines & foliage sticking to it & acting as light camouflage. The shell itself is segmented in hexagonal patterns & is incredibly durable. 

Diet & Behaviour
Guardian tortoises predominantly eat fresh tree leaves from the upper branches of the surrounding trees, something their height easily accommodates. They have a strong protective nature & take advantage of their sheer size to scare off predators, even those hunting other species. Whilst mostly their presence & cry are enough to deter most instances, they're not afraid to charge & stomp at predators should they hold their ground. There's even reported instances of them getting involved in cases of violence between people when one side is unarmed. Guardian tortoises are known to live for up to 100 years, however they are only fertile for roughly 5 years of that, from roughly the age of 10 to 15. It's only after this point the truly giant guardian tortoises begin to grow further, though studies have shown that the growth isn't tied to the end size of their parents or the amount of offspring had during their fertility. Nearer the end of their lifespan, the guardian tortoise seems drawn towards Geminus Major, where few last longer than a few weeks given the larger, deadlier flora & fauna