Lophophids

Serpentine body shapes are far more common on Snaiad than other
worlds. However, most of Snaiad’s varied “snakes” are small-to-medium sized
creatures that usually feed on smaller animals. The Lophophids form an exception
to both of these trends by being predominantly herbivorous, and also quite
large-bodied. Their elongated bodies contain long, fermenting guts that can deal
with even the toughest plant matter. Their second heads, decked out with rasping
teeth, can likewise cope with a wide variety of vegetation. These features, and
the Lophophids’ ability to prosper on a limited diet of sprog, make these giant,
snake-like organisms some of the most common large herbivores, especially on
warmer climates.

Species: Bandia bandia
Common Name: Bandy-bandy.
Size: 2
meters long.
Habitat: Pansavannah.

This is a typical Lophophid with no legs, powerful, rippling
“walking” muscles on its underbelly and a rasping second-head that works like a
lawn –or sprog- mower. Like many other Lophophids, Bandia lives in
small family groups and is usually active in broad daylight. One would think
that these creatures would be extremely vulnerable to predation as slow-moving,
fat masses of meat, but they have a very interesting defense technique to keep
predators at bay. Occasionally these animals, like many other Lophophid species,
raid the nests of colonial trikes (Acridasteria,) and eat as many as they can of
the small, toxic invertebrates. When this behavior was first observed, it was
thought that Lophophids lived like anteaters of Earth, even earning a related
Lophophid genus the name Myrmecophis (Ant-snake.) Actually, the
Acirdasterian trikes form an extremely limited part of the Lophophid diet, but
the Lophophids somehow extract the invertebrates’ potent poison and store it in
their bodies. Any predator foolish enough to eat such a creature thus risks a
nasty episode of poisoning that will usually not kill, but severely traumatize
it. To make this danger clearer, many Lophophids like Bandia have
distinct, startling color schemes on their bodies.

Bandia bandia is commercially valuable on Snaiad for
its attractively patterned leather and interesting body chemistry, which has
potential even for human scientists. Natural hunting of these animals is
forbidden and all products come from captive-reared farm herds.

Species: Brontophis montanus
Common Name: Tractorsnake.

Size: Up to 7 meters long.
Habitat: Sprogland, pinnacle ranges and
scrubland on Lower Vesterna.

While some Lophophids rely on their poisonous flesh for
defense, others have developed enormous sizes and thick body armor to resist
predators. Such giant forms also enjoy a wider distribution than their poisonous
cousins, since their ranges are not constrained by the distribution of
nest-building Acridasterians that they use to distill their poison.

Endlessly mopping up sprog, “grass,” small shrubs and every
other type of vegetation like living combine harvesters; these giants are the
largest of the Ankylophid Lophophidians. Unlike their smaller cousins, they are
more active in the night, spending the days in thickets or in the bases of
vegetative pinnacles in pinnacle ranges. Their presence is noticeable the next
morning by the deep furrows they leave across the landscape, twisting and
turning like gigantic exercises of calligraphy. Not surprisingly, these traces
were thought to be “alien Nazca lines” during the first aerial surveys of
Vesterna. Later research confirmed the true nature of these lines and as of now,
no intelligent species are known from Snaiad. (The only possible exceptions are
the mysterious “Stone Axers” that are known only from their 30-million year old
fossil tools.)

Species: Phytophyton jihani
Common Names: Blue python,
Jihan’s sidewinder.
Size: Up to 5 meters long.
Habitat: A variety of
habitats in Isterna, ranging from the Sovanian Pinnacle Range in the north and
the edges of the Ankyranian Desert.

Not all Lophophids are heavy-set crawlers with muscular
traction pads along their bellies. A great majority of Lophophid species are
active undulators that move with a lateral waving motion of their bodies. Such
species, classified as Sigmophidian Lophophids, can also swim or climb, and are
able to exploit more niches.

Phytophyton jihani is one such generalist, present in
a numerous different habitats across its widespread range. Where it can,
Phytophyton utilizes the poisons of Acridasterians to defend itself,
but in many other places it simply relies on its cryptic shape to hide itself
from danger. When cornered, these creatures start trashing about, flailing their
tails and bodies insanely to drive their attackers away. Despite their large
size, they are also one of the fastest Lophophids, and can achieve surprising
bursts of speed using a unique, oversized sidewinding action.

Species: Hydrolophis ocellatus
Common Name: River Snake,
Eyed Snake.
Size: 3 meters long, usually smaller.
Habitat: The Scoptic
River in Vesterna.

These mysterious and highly secretive aquatic Sigmophidian
Lophophids are known only from a dozen specimens and twice as many blurry
underwater photos. They feed on the vegetation that grows along the river bottom
and sometimes beach themselves, apparently in order to bask in the sun. Although
its purely aquatic lifestyle seems highly specialized, Hydrolophis is thought to
be a recent descendant of other Sigmophidians like Phytophyton.

Almost every year, expeditions are launched into the Scoptic
River delta to find out more about this enigmatic creature.

Species: Aphsinus roseae
Common Name: Pink
Dandysnake.
Size: 90-100 cm long.
Habitat: The Great Azonic Jungle, in
Southwestern Vesterna.

While the great Ankylophidians and fabulously patterned
Bandiaformes get all the attention, two out of three Lophophid species belong to
the diverse-but-humble subgroup of Florophidians. All Florophidians are
small-bodied, more-or-less snake like herbivores, although several species feed
on small animals and even blood (Vampyrophis sp.) Quite conspicuously,
they all lack the muscular “crawling pad” found in the larger Lophophids. These
animals can be found in a variety of habitats; including sproglands, scrublands,
deserts, forests and pinnacle ranges. Although their body shapes are
conservative, Florophidian species in different habitats show diverse
specializations for their respective niches.

The climax of Florophidian diversity can be observed in the
jungles in western Vesterna. Many species of Dandysnakes like Aphsinus
abound in this region, usually in such a variety that individuals from three or
four different species can be found living together on a single tree.
Aphsinus roseae, named for its pink, rose-like color, usually lives
just below the canopy layer, feeding on leaves and “fruit”. The males have a
highly developed throat flap that they use for sexual displays.

Species: Lepidophis ommoni
Common Names: Tree Scab, Emerald
Scab, Aphidsnake.
Size: 7 to 10 centimeters long.
Habitat: On tree-like
plants in the Great Western Pinnacle Range and surrounding areas.

On Snaiad, the equivalents of trees sometimes have fleshy,
thick, bark-like growths that they shed seasonally in a way comparable to
Earthly plants shedding their leaves. Numerous creatures have evolved to take
advantage of these nutrient resources, and this bizarre group of Lophophids
(Chitonophidia,) is also among their ranks. Lephidophis is a
characteristic member of this group, with a tough series of plate-like scales
down its back, a rasping second head completely hidden under its body and a very
strong, muscular traction pad along its belly that makes it difficult to remove
from the bark. Masses of them can usually be seen in infected trees, glimmering
in the upper branches like a set of parasitic sequins. Despite their conspicuous
color, almost no animals except from certain specialized predators disturb them.
This is because Lepidophis and relatives, like their Bandiaform
ancestors, can synthesize an irritating poison from the juices of the plant they
feed on.

Quite interestingly among Snaiadi “vertebrates,” Lepidophis and
most other Chitonophidians consist of all-female populations, able to give birth
without the need of males, or mating. This makes them especially populous, but
at the same time, vulnerable to disease and other maladies. Consequently, the
populations of many Chitonophidians follow irregular boom-and-bust cycles.

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