Sand Strider

Basic Information

Anatomy

The sand striders are massive, quadrupedal, reptilian creatures with a round head, sharp teeth, and a long tail.

Genetics and Reproduction

Sand striders lay eggs after a gestation period of about four months. A group of sand strider eggs is typically called a bundle. The eggs then take about another 75 days to hatch. The eggs are buried a few feet under the sand so they don't get too hot, but also not too cold at night.

Growth Rate & Stages

Once a sand striders hatches it takes about three years for it to grow fully in size. During its first year, the major things that it undergoes is learning how to walk and growing a tougher hide. It takes a sand striders about a month to gain enough strength in its back legs to walk upright and run around. A sand strider is born crawling on its belly with its two front legs. Over the course of its first year, its hide grows to resist the blowing sand of its environment. During its second year of life is when a sand strider grows its invisible eyelid. This eyelid allows it to cover its eye to see during a sandstorm with damaging its eyeballs. The third year of a sand striders life is its growth stage. This is when it consumes the most food and grows at its most rapid rate until it is fully grown.

Ecology and Habitats

The sand striders, as their name suggest, live in sandy areas, such as deserts. Most prominently, the sand striders reside in the Great Desert. They need a lot of sun. When their bodies get to cold, they lose energy and move slower and usually go to sleep to conserve power.
They burrow into the surface of the sand, digging out huge holes to nest in for laying eggs and to settle at night to rest.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Sand striders are omnivores, eating fruits, vegetables, and meats. They mostly go after meat for their main source of food, but they can snack on certain leaves and fruits that are rarely found in the desert.

Additional Information

Domestication

Domesticated sand striders are very friendly creatures. They enjoy head rubs and treats.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Sand striders are the main form of desert travel by the inhabitants of the Great Desert. Sand striders are bred and sold from ranches.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Sand striders have the ability to close their ear holes to protect them from the sandstorms. Similarly, they have an invisible eyelid to protect their eyes in the same fashion. The invisible eyelid can also magnify their vision a little bit. They can also feel seismic vibrations from about ten feet away. This is less effective on the shifting sands of a desert, but it still makes it hard to sneak up on a sand strider.

Lifespan

80 years

Average Height

6 feet

Average Weight

1,900 lbs or 862 kg

Average Length

7 feet (without tail), 11 feet (with tail)

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Sand striders come in a few different colors. Tan and different shades of brown. They can also be gray or dark green. Their colors can mix as well. They can have misshaped spots or stripes.