The Giant Roach

The most common animal in all of the dragon home continent. The giant roach is a domesticated species of insect that has made itself home in many villages due to it's many uses, as a beast of burden, as a source of food both for it's meat and because of its eggs, but also famously as a source of armor as their carapace is thick and strong. Their omnivorous life style is generally great in village settings, as they happily eat scraps of food but also eat grass and other plants. They are incredibly docile creatures, which is one of the main reasons that have allowed people to domesticate it and help it grow to it's modern large size.

Basic Information

Anatomy

They are a hexapodal creature with stubby yet thick legs that help support, each and every one of them being covered in barbs that help it move. All of that is hidden underneath a large shell on top of its body, covering the entirety with it's thick armor. It is a incredibly flat creature, with it's armor even protecting it's face and covering it so the creature can only look straight forward and downwards. From their head protrude long antenna, along with large black eyes and an insect like mouth.

Genetics and Reproduction

Mating tends to be very simple for these creatures, as whenever a male finds a female, he will mate with her and she will then lay her eggs a few months afterwards. They lay dozens of eggs, many of which usually become meals for the owners of the creature but this is also to ensure their population doesn't grow out of control. Because of this, males are made sure to be separated from females as to not make the population grow too fast.

Growth Rate & Stages

They are born very small in comparison to their adult forms, being about the size of a draken's hand. They do however grow incredibly quickly and reach adult size in a simply 3 years where they also reach sexual maturity.

Ecology and Habitats

While as mentioned they are mostly found in village settings, those that are outside of that or escape them can either be quickly killed by predators or end up becoming major pests in a local environment, as they may outcompete other animals and may have too thick armor for any predator to be a threat to them.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

They don't have ears in the traditional sense other animals do, rather they use their large attenae and their barbed legs to sense vibrations in the air to detect where sounds are coming from. They also have a strong sense of smell that help them find scraps of food, and on top of this have very good eyesight that gives them a wide arc to see in front of them.

Lifespan

20 years

Average Height

50 cm

Average Weight

350 kg

Average Length

250 cm