Wilderox
Wilderox are large hoofed animals that roam the Balelands in large numbers. Some have been domesticated but not in great numbers due to the naturally aggressive nature of wilderox themselves.
The animals are nomadic, traveling in herds. They subsist off grazing on roots, tubers, and the foot-long or more barcgrubs found across the Balelands plains and mountainous regions. Herds are comprised of an elder bull with several younger bulls along with numerous females and young. The average size of a wilderox herd can reach up to fifty or even seventy in number. These herds are often called a ‘colony’.
One of the more unique aspects of the wilderox is how they defend against predators. When the colony is attacked or threatened, they form a defensive circle. The young and elderly are placed within the center. The females surround that center as a layer of protection. Males of the colony move around the outside in a steady patrol.
They can be startled though. Wilderox stampedes are well known across the Balelands as the larger colonies of wilderox have been known to level smaller towns or settlements in more remote regions. A stampede can cause a colony to run for miles, leaving a wide fan of destruction in their wake.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Wilderox are quadruped animals. They have a shaggy coat of fur that covers their broad-shouldered body. They have a wide forehead supporting a rack of gray-white horns that rise up in a scoop-like fashion from their head. Wide ears fan out behind the horns and a trunk-like snout extends from the end of their muzzle. Beneath the fur is a double layer thick hide that protects them from sharp thorns and brambles as the herd migrates between feeding areas.
An individual wilderox can reach a size of 1.5 meters to 1.7 meters in height at the shoulder and almost 2.8 meters in length. Wilderox weigh in at 1080 kilograms for males, and 950 kilograms for females.
Genetics and Reproduction
Female wilderox can reproduce annually, provided there is enough food to support it. The females are able to give birth between years of 4 and 12. Makes are able to reproduce between 5 and 14. Wilderox females give birth to one to three calves on the average.
Ecology and Habitats
Predators
Due to their large size, wilderox have few natural predators outside baathi, loam leopards, and the totshaho who hunt very young or very old wilderox.Additional Information
Domestication
Uses, Products & Exploitation
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Wilderox are known for having poor distance eyesight. They compensate for this using a form of echolocation where they have a complex series of bleating sounds they make with their trunk. The bleating sounds bounce off solid nearby objects which they detect with their wide fan-like ears.
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