Sahal

Noble steeds from humble origins

The Sahal (rough translation "Dunewalker") are large lizards loosely related to the much smaller frill-necked lizard. They measure 2.5 meters in length (without the 3 m tail), and are about 1 meter tall and wide at the shoulders. Protruding from their neck are frills which they can extend as intimidation during fights for food or mates.
The majority of the Sahal population is semi-domesticated and lives in captivity in human settlements. The lizards when not tame do hunt humans, though this is not a specific choice, as Sahal consume all forms of nutrients as long as they are smaller, which almost all living things under the Jadiran sun are.

Uses

Sahal see primary use as beasts of burden, for they can carry up to their own weight in supplies, and go without water for nine, without food for twenty seven days provided the Sahal had ample access to either prior to departure. From years of breeding, Sahal who are domesticated are much more relaxed around humans and submissive to their handlers, the so called Scaleminders. In recent years, Sahal breeds with higher aggression have begun seeing use in warfare.

Unique abilities

The Sahal features a series of evolutionary advantages that make the Sahal so well adapted to the desert. First and foremost, their frills have the added bonus of enabling some decent thermoregulation for a cold-blooded species. Extended they can soak up morning sun or they can repeatedly flap them to cool off their blood.
In terms of conservation of energy, Sahal have unparalleled control over their own bodies. They barely excete any waste, which is almost solide and dry whenever they do, but more interestingly, they can halt their disgestion of food by closing off some of the valves within the digestive tract. Doing so allows the Sahal to ensure it gets the most out of nutrients while also slowing its metabolism to whatever needs it currently has.

Long distance capabilities

Despite its lumbering size, Sahal can actually travel quite far within a day, simply because they do not need much rest or sleep. A Sahal may work with just two hours of sleep, however they will unless pushed not travel during nighttime. Similarily, the Sahal moves slowly on it own accord, usually walking with only 2 to 3 km per hour. If pushed it can reach higher speeds with bursts of up to fifty km/h.
This means that a Sahal caravan travels slowly but steadily throughout the entire day, letting the sahal dictate the speed so that they can maximise their conservation of energy and resources. A sahal caravan therefore can travel up to 150 km per week if they only stop during night, breaking camp at sunrise only stopping at dusk. Mastery of the Sahal enabled the Jadiran people to truly conquer the desert, and is the main highway upon goods and people are (slowly) transported from one oasis to another.