Saurian
Saurians are the first sapient species to have ever existed on Earth, a planet in the Kinosmo Solar System. Unlike humans, the second sapient species to exist on the planet, saurians had a very limited geographic distribution, having only been discovered in what is now known as Central Europe.
They existed approximately 140 million years ago in Earth time, which is why Eiki and I were sent back in time to study them, as the People's Association had no data on them.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Saurians have a build very similar to humans; standing on two legs, long arms with individually moving digits, opposable thumbs, and larger brains.
Saurians are reptilians, are cold-blooded, and therefore need to thermoregulate. They do this with the short sails on their backs and atop their heads, which glow brighter in the sun, as it absorbs heat energy. The colour of the sails can differ, and I have noted down a total of fifteen differen hues, from bright reds to dark greens. Not only do saurians have short sails on their heads, they also have small feathers growing along either side. These feathers have a wider range of colours, which are inherited from parents.
Standing straight, saurians reach an average height of 2.5 metres, or just over 8 feet. Their height does come with a disadvantage, as their arboreal lifestyle becomes slightly more challenging as canopies are harder to traverse. To help, they have a prehensile tail covered in feathers. These feathers puff up when saurians are in danger, to appear larger and more dominant. If that doesn't work, the sails will also appear larger, as they will swell up. Swelling the sails for an extended period of time will cause significant brain damage, which has been observed on multiple occassions and shows a lack of understanding from the saurians.
Genetics and Reproduction
Similar to many sapient species from other planets, saurians do not have a set mating season. They are also ovoviviparous, meaning the eggs they produce hatch inside the body, and then give birth to live young. I only know this because I discovered a deceased pregnant saurian, and took the opportunity to examine the insides, where I found remains of soft eggshells.
If saurians are similar to other ovoviviparous animals, then babies are nourished with a yolk inside the mother, and are birthed fully functional, similar to mammals. After watching several pregnant females (that sounds weirder than it was), I can determine gestation period for a saurian is about eleven months.
Growth Rate & Stages
Baby saurians are born with many innate behaviours, which is also rare among sapient species in the Yonderverse. Babies are born with the ability to walk, after the first few minutes of birth will be up and literally running. What's even weirder is that the babies are much faster than parents, and are commonly causing trouble for adults.
Most saurian cultures classify juveniles in two stages: children and teenagers. In their own languages of course. Children are between birth and 10 years of age, while the teen years only last up to the age of 13. The years of being a child is the main stage where saurians develop and mature, both physically and mentally. The three teenage years are where saurians grow their feathers, the last stage in their development.
Ecology and Habitats
Saurians are an arboreal species, meaning they live in the treetops. This is very unusual for a dinosaur species, but I suspect it is an evolutionary tactic to avoid predators, as they live higher up than any ground-level dinosaur. With their prehensile tail that is also unique in dinosaur species, saurians can swing from branch to branch, hooking on to tree trunks with their sharp, jagged talons.
Dietary Needs and Habits
All saurians that I have observed are omnivorous, eating plants, fungi, meat, basically anything they can find. Different cultures Eiki and I have documented all have varying diets, some even sporting carnivorous or herbivorous diets, but the vast majority eat about 2/3 plants & fungi to 1/3 meat.
Interestingly, many cultures consume a larger amount of fungi than any other food product. Lots of cultures grow fungi on the tree trunks of the treehouses they call home, such as the arborians.
I like it! And wow, that's a lot of different races! I now wonder what differences they have between each other than the diet. And they are tall wow
Love to code, but this one is driving me crazy!
My world Shattered won as the "Most ground-breaking premise new world"!
Thank you so much! It is indeed a lot of races, I'm hoping this world will help me write other articles better than species since species are some of the least important things in this world xD
Going out the confort zone, eh? That's good!
Love to code, but this one is driving me crazy!
My world Shattered won as the "Most ground-breaking premise new world"!