Savraxi

If chickens had mean little teeth, scales and a sense of mischief far beyond their apparent intelligence - well, that’s a Savraxi. I’m not sure if they’re pets, guard-dogs or food, but they sure as hell make me want to invest in some armoured socks.

— Klaas Marsinger, explorer

Savraxi (singular Savrax) are small, bipedal reptiles. As intelligent as a monkey and as fierce as a chihuahua, although only the size of a large chicken, these tiny dinosaurs can be found wild in the Nyrian Jungles.

Morphology

Savraxi are usually mottled Green-grey, with an orange or cream underbelly. New-born Savraxi are approximately 5cm long, but grow to a maximum of 50 cm over the next few months.
Their powerful hind legs allow them to achieve bursts of 50 km per hour, although only for short amounts of time. Their front arms are shorter, with developed claws for grabbing and tearing prey. Short, sharp teeth grow in three rows, and replace themselves over time. Their average life expectancy is 7 years in the wild, although around 15 in captivity. The oldest known Savraxi, whose name roughly translates as “Wrecks”, lived to be 25 years old.
By their nature, Savraxi from social units and hunt in packs, although they also feed on fresh carrion. This gives them the ability to take down far larger prey than they could alone, and large packs of Savraxi have swarmed creatures as large as a Quetzalcoatlus when it is grounded.
Their green-grey colour gives them camouflage in the wild, allowing them to quickly disappear into the undergrowth if they feel threatened - usually when they are alone.
Domesticated Savraxi are trainable and make excellent pets. Generally most males and some females are eaten when they reach adolescence, around 6-9 months after hatching. Breeding stock is precious, however and treated like beloved pets. They are often trained to do tricks, fetch items, carry messages to known individuals, and can understand linguistic commands. They are also fiercely protective of their territories, and strangers are likely to get a nip on the ankle - or even swarmed if there is a large group of Savraxi - unless their owners intervene.

A Savrax considering attack