Heterostomes

The second heads of Snaiad animals are complex structures that
are specialized to gather and digest food. In many animals including the
predatory lineages and some of the “simpler” herbivores, the second heads are
usually made up of a puckering opening, containing a muscular, prehensile
“tongue” inside. In “advanced” herbivores, the whole second head protrudes out
of the chest and is grossly modified to rip-up, chew and grind plants. In the
Heterostomes, however, the “tongue” has assumed the function of the entire
second head of the “advanced” herbivores and boasts gripping edges, muscular
ridges and movable flaps capable of “chewing” action. These creatures feed as
more advanced herbivores do, although the tongue has to be retracted every few
minutes to pass its contents to the real digestive section inside.

There are only three known genera of Heterostome herbivores on
Snaiad, with perhaps five species in total. All of them are very specialized and
phylogenically distant, hinting that they might be the last survivors of a much
larger dynasty. More recently, fossils of wonderfully diverse Heterostomes have
been recovered from the strata of Snaiad, lending weight to this theory. The
demise of the Heterostomes was probably brought upon by the competitive pressure
of advanced herbivores, as well as the dangers posed by new, efficient killers
like Fuckers and Kahydrons.

Species: Eubipes bicolor
Common Name: Orca Runner.
Size:
Stands about 2-3 meters tall from the ground to the hip, body about 2-3.5 meters
long.
Habitat: Notorian plains and sprogland, substantial introduced colonies
exist around the Neomediterranean.

Used widely as a draught animal and steed during the early
years of Snaiadi settlement, this is one of the most familiar beasts on the
planet. Even today, when technology has made work and travel easier, people
enjoy riding Orca Runners for sport. As a result, Orca Runners have spread
widely around the Neomediterranean basin, existing in feral as well as captive
herds. Back home in Notor, Orca Runners roam the boundaries between sprogland,
forest and Erythrophyte scrubland, feeding mostly on tall bushes and low-growing
trees. Unlike most other sprogland herbivores, they do not feed on sprog itself
and have a more selective, but adaptable diet. Orca Runners are gregarious herd
animals, usually darkening the plains with their numbers in their home range.
They defend themselves against predators such as Notorian Rapists (Fututor
notoriensis,) and Dromokahydrons (Xenodromos princeps,) with their
strong kicks and the tough, bark-like skin surrounding their hips.

Orca Runners were domesticated through the efforts of Milassis
Erdem, who in the initial years of settlement on Snaiad, initiated a program to
domesticate local animals for work in the absence of industries capable of
producing or growing heavy machinery. Many creatures from all around the planet
were experimented with, ranging from mighty Allotaurs to Pneumagazelles, their
relatives and even certain Kahydronts. In the end, beasts from the mainland
continents proved to be too aggressive to tame or difficult to raise, probably
due to the heightened evolutionary “arms race” going on in their ecosystems.
Evolved in the relatively calmer isolation of Glacia-Notor, the Orca Runners
turned out to be the ideal candidates.

Species: Thaumataurus macrurus
Common Name: Pole-wagger,
Goldenhump, Thaumataur.
Size: About 2 meters long, tail stalk up to three
times body length in males.
Habitat: Plateau scrublands in the southern tip
of Vesterna.

The mixed green and red scrublands along certain Vesternian
highlands are occasionally punctuated with the impossibly long, waving tail
stalks of these strange herbivores. Results of and ancient sexual armaments
race, these bizarre structures sometimes grow as tall as electric poles. The
males who possess them face each other in spectacular ritual fights, but the
erect structures flag out their territories even when they are browsing or
idling. This naturally makes them very conspicuous to predators as well, so
accidents, male-to-male fights and attacks cause most of them to lose their
tails soon after the mating season. A higher number of males do end up getting
killed by predators during this time, but the risk caused by predation is
evidentially worth taking in order to father the next generation. Thaumataur
females lack the long beaks, extravagant colors and the characteristic tail
stalks of their male counterparts. They live in closely-knit, harem-style
groups, usually dominated by a single male until he dies, or a challenger takes
his place.

Thaumataurus belongs to a lineage of Heterostomes that
used to have many lightly built, running species roaming across Snaiad. Fossil
discoveries reveal that the exaggerated tail stalks of male Thaumataurs had
their ancestry in the stiff, counterbalancing rods of their running precursors.
For some reason, the line that led to today’s Thaumataurs settled down for a
more sluggish browsing lifestyle while their swift-footed ancestors and
relatives died out.

Species: Spinodesmus avancna
Common Name: Spiny.
Size: Up
to 4 meters long from snout to tail.
Habitat: Found exclusively on the high
Pontic Alps, related species occur on the Lower Pontic Alps and the Sovan Range.

The windy crags of the Pontic Alps conceal one of Snaiad’s most
spectacular animals. With their foreclaws, first-head beaks, dorsal and ventral
ridges all exaggerated into long, stick-like series of spikes, Spinies resemble
living targets that have been used for archery and javelin practice. The lives
of these creatures are notoriously difficult to observe due to the fact that
they are sparsely distributed over their limited range, and in any case are
extremely shy. They are more often known to visitors through the haunting sounds
they produce by rattling their myriad spikes against each other. This eerie
rattle is also accompanied by a very low, stereo wailing sound they make from
their breathing orifices which lie, like most Snaiadi terrestrial “vertebrates,”
in their armpits. Because of their elusive nature, it has been difficult to
ascertain exactly how many species of Spinies there are, with separate
populations on nearby mountain plains being classified as different species
under the genus Spinodesmus. A distinct population of large bodied,
black animals that lives in the same area as S. avancna might soon be
classified as yet another species. Regardless of how many there are, all
Spinodesmus species feed on a select range of mountain vegetation, and
females apparently have a single offspring every year. Both sexes bear the
impressive set of spines.

Spinodesmus avancna was named in the honor of Stanton
Fink, one of the first explorers of the Pontic Alps and the surrounding forests.
The local town of Samasti has recently adopted this creature as her mascot and
proudly displays its imagery on her flag.

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associated with this project belong to Nemo Ramjet, unless otherwise stated.