Aspidochelone
The Aspidochelone is a species of gargantuan turtle found in The Middlesea. While most adult Aspidochelones only grow to be sixty to seventy feet long, some of them have grown much larger, such as the infamous Tortuka. The largest specimens have often been mistaken for islands by sailors - a mistake which has led to more than one shipwreck when the turtle attacked. Some claim that the turtle will deliberately lay traps for passing ships, but there is little evidence that this is intentional on their part.
Basic Information
Anatomy
The Aspidochelone is similar to other sea turtles, with a long and narrow head, a hooked beak, and a tough shell that protects most of its body. The shell is leathery rather than bony, but so thick that it can repel almost any attack. There is a row of small spines along the center point of the shell. It has strong flippers and can swim against the currents easily, but will typically drift along unless it has a reason to move.
Genetics and Reproduction
Little is known about how the Aspidochelone reproduces. Based on other turtles, it is suspected that they lay eggs on some secluded beach in the Middlesea, but nobody has ever located it or observed the eggs hatching. Occasionally, a young or juvenile specimen will be discovered, and from that it appears that they start out small, only a foot or so across.
Ecology and Habitats
The Aspidochelone thrives in the highly magical and dangerous environment of the Middlesea, especially in the southeastern region. Their favorite food source is the gargantuan glowing jellyfish which congregates there, but they are omnivores and will eat anything that crosses their path, especially when they get larger. During their youth, they are the frequent prey of other sea predators, such as sharks, orca, and sea wyrms, but the adult Aspidochelone is safe from virtually any predator. The adults will even go after ships in the water if they are nearby, shattering them with a charge and then consuming the edible bits (and people) who are in the water.
One way that the Aspidochelone will hunt is to chum the waters with its own vomit. It belches out a huge amount of fish and other material, and then wait while the bait attracted a large number of prey fish. It would then consume the prey and the chum together. This chum has a distinctive sweetish smell, and sailors who are familiar with it know to sail away when it is on the wind.
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