Fixoderm

A pod-traveling herbivore known for being the largest species in the Plains. While largely peaceful creatures, some have been seen attacking large predators to protect their young, namely the Sandfish and the Thanadon. They do this by swinging their heads from side to side, ramming their prongs into the attacker. These creatures also produce strange calls to communicate with one another, sounding almost similar to creaking doors.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Fixoderms have long eel-like bodies, halfway covered by bony armored plates. Its tail fin takes up most of the creature's exposed body, and only has pectoral fins on its front half. Its head has six heavy prongs which jut out from both sides of the creature's face, covering four glowing blue eyes, and a jawless mouth. Inside their mouths is a proboscis from which they feed.

Genetics and Reproduction

When a Fixoderm reaches adulthood, it may leave its birth pod and traverse the Plains on its own for a while, though it wont face much hardship due to its size. If it meets another member of its species, the two will pair up and start their own pod. These creatures have been observed giving live birth, unlike most denizens of their environment, and they never let their young out of their sight until they've grown up. Occasionally, outsiders that join the pod can mate with any of the inhabitants, allowing for a larger group.

Growth Rate & Stages

Fixoderms will start out small and much less athletic than the adults, but they will have well developed prongs early in their time. They will still stick close to the adults, as even if a youngling could defend themselves, the adults have a better chance at deterring threats for good. Once they grow old enough, they have the option to stay with their pod, or leave it to join another.

Ecology and Habitats

Fixoderms swim high above the floor of the Plains, and never touch ground unless they've died. When they do die, their carcasses usually become hotspots for scavengers to pick meat off of. They have been sighted swimming just above the roofs of pocket forests, as well as around the mountainous rock spires in certain areas of the Plains. It is thought that them swimming through these crowded rock formations would discourage predators from trying to attack the young.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Fixoderms only eat Spadeleaves and Copper Stems. They use their proboscises to reach down and pluck the plant matter off of their food. They occasionally attack any other creatures getting in the way of their feeding, though they can easily avoid other herbivores by staying high off the ground, and feeding from the top layer of foliage first. Some pocket forests in the Plains have been found completely plucked dry of their foliage, thought to be due to large pods of Fixoderms feeding on them.

Biological Cycle

Certain specimens have been seen with sand coating their prongs, which is thought to be from sand continuously falling down from the tops of the Plains' spires, and sticking to their armor.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Fixoderms live in pods that often vary in size. These pods are started by two lone Fixoderms meeting up and having offspring, who make up the majority of the pod as they grow. The pods are maintained both to care for the wellbeing of other Fixoderms, as well as to offer protection to the younglings, as they have been prized by certain large predators for a meal. Once fully grown, some of the young pod members will leave to start their own, or join an already existing pod.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

These creatures use four eyes to see their environment, as well as their keen hearing. Though, they seem to mostly use hearing to pick up each other's calls, rather than detect oncoming threats.

History

The Fixoderms were among the first inhabitants of the Sand Plains, when they first formed. With no other species to eat the plants at the time, they quickly grew in numbers, also becoming large in body size as well. They have been very common in the stone pillars, but even more so elsewhere in the realm. They likely favored the Plains for having wide open space, and plentiful food sources at the same time, and with no exceptionally harsh conditions, the Fixoderms prospered.

Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms

Some specimens have been observed carrying young Brine Worms on their backsides. The Brine Worms attach themselves by biting down on the Fixoderm's armor, and avoid predators by simply staying hooked onto the large creatures.

Scientific Name

Fixodermi anguilla

Lifespan

Unknown

Average Weight

40,000 lbs

Average Length

45 ft.

Average Physique

Slender

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Green skin, dark blue grey armor, glowing blue eyes

Geographic Distribution

• The Sand Plains

Average Intelligence
Average