From: =?koi8-r?B?88/I0sHOxc7PIFdpbmRvd3MgSW50ZXJuZXQgRXhwbG9yZXIgNw==?= Subject: Tromobrachids of Snaiad (Nemo Ramjet) Date: Tue, 19 May 2009 07:18:29 +0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="text/html"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0058_01C9D852.028D91C0" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.0.6001.18049 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0058_01C9D852.028D91C0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.nemoramjet.com/sndcladestromobrachids.html =EF=BB=BF
This group bears yet another set of extraordinary = adaptations=20 that elicit the popular phrase, =E2=80=9Cit could only happen in = Thalassia.=E2=80=9D=20 Fusing their second heads with their =E2=80=9Csternums=E2=80=9D and = front limbs,=20 Tromobrachids have evolved the strongest jaw-equivalents in all of = Snaiad;=20 stronger even than the hydraulic bites of the Kahydroniformes, with the=20 advantage of being able to bite, chew and swallow from the same = =E2=80=9Cmouth=E2=80=9D. Not=20 involved with feeding anymore, their first heads have become thin,=20 periscope-like organs useful only for observation, grooming and = breeding. Fast,=20 large and powerful, the only thing stopping the Tromobrachids=E2=80=99 = complete takeover=20 of predatory niches on Snaiad has been the isolated location of = Thalassia.=20 Despite these advantages, their evolutionary confinement in the island = continent=20 has led to a very low species count for this group, not more than seven=20 according to the latest data. Unusual aquatic Tromobrachids are known = from the=20 fossil record.
Species: Seismopus kurash
Common Name: See =
Rex
Size: 9=20
meters long.
Habitat: All across Thalassia.
Weighing well over a ton, this giant is easily one of = the=20 biggest predators in all of Snaiad. It regularly hunts large Titans and=20 herbivorous Monoanticherans, and has even been observed killing (but not = eating,) predatory Volugnaths almost as large as itself.
Beneath its fame as the largest predator on = Thalassia,=20 Seismopus is a pretty ordinary Tromobrachid, with its arms = melded=20 together into muscular, crushing jaws. Although quite sturdy, its = arm-jaws still=20 retain limited sideways movement and can open up to = =E2=80=9Cembrace=E2=80=9D large prey items.=20 Two nostrils on each side of its arms give the disquieting illusion of = eyes, and=20 are also responsible for Seismopus=E2=80=99 famous, sonorous = stereo roar. The=20 first head bears a well-developed throat pouch that females use to carry = their=20 hard-shelled, boxy eggs around. In males, a huge, flag-like genital = folds up=20 into the same space.
Species: Ammodromeus hesperus
Common Name:=20
Sandrunner.
Size: 3-6 meters long.
Habitat: Interior regions of=20
Thalassia.
This smaller Tromobrachid prowls the hot interior of = Thalassia,=20 feeding on Pistonopodid Bounderjaws and snake-eating Mikados.=20 Ammodromeus is a pursuit predator and relentlessly runs after = its prey,=20 eventually exhausting it. Although individuals have been observed = grouping=20 together to chase down larger prey, this behavior is a simple result of=20 intersecting interests rather than any genuine pack behavior.
These animals have a number of unusual = characteristics that=20 make them stand out among Tromobrachids. These include a shaggy coat of = enlarged=20 =E2=80=9Chair,=E2=80=9D a very short neck, hyper-extended chest keels = and moveable claw =E2=80=9Cteeth=E2=80=9D=20 in their arm-jaws. They have the anomalous habit of swallowing their = prey in a=20 single bite, =E2=80=9Cwalking=E2=80=9D the dead body into their = cavernous mouths with their=20 claw-teeth. After eating, they usually rest for several days before = getting up=20 to run again. =E2=80=9CVomit piles=E2=80=9D containing the indigestible = hard parts of their prey=20 are a common sign of Ammodromeus in the Thalassian interior. = There are=20 two species of Ammodromeus, one of which is smaller and = brighter=20 colored than the other.
Species: Osteophagus macrodirus
Common Names: =
Graboid,=20
Stinkfowl.
Size: Up to 3 meters long.
Habitat: Thalassian plains =
and=20
forests.
While some Tromobrachids like Ammodromeus = have mobile=20 and extensible arm-jaws, this species has its arms fused into solid, = bone-like=20 jaws. Furthermore, the hydraulic muscles that close their arms are = buttressed=20 straight against the ventral skid, using the whole body=E2=80=99s = support for extra=20 power. Not surprisingly, Osteophagus has the strongest = =E2=80=9Cbite=E2=80=9D (or in=20 the Tromobrachids=E2=80=99 case, hug,) in all of Snaiad, easily enough = to crack open and=20 consume bones. These animals spend most of their lives as scavengers, = using=20 their long, periscope-like first heads to spot kill sites and rotting = carcasses=20 on the Thalassian plains. They have also been observed accompanying = larger=20 Tromobrachids on hunts, waiting patiently for them to finish eating and = then=20 moving in to feast on the leftovers. Another favorite food source is=20 Ammodromeus =E2=80=9Cvomit piles=E2=80=9D, which are eaten with = a special relish.=20 However, scavenging alone is not enough to support these animals and = they=20 frequently supplement their diet with small Bounderjaw species or = thick-shelled=20 Thalassiochelid Cannonballs, which they crack open like nuts.
Their fetid diet gives Osteocephalus=E2=80=99 a = deadly array of=20 contagious microorganisms breeding around their arm-jaws, which they = practically=20 use like venom for hunting or defense. Sometimes, however, even they = catch=20 infections and fall sick. Such individuals have been observed crunching=20 Erythrophyte wood, perhaps for its medicinal properties.
Species: Psittacocephalus precursor
Common Name:=20
None.
Size: 2-4 meters long.
Habitat: Ur-thalassia.
A hint to how this amazing group evolved can be found = on the=20 island of Ur-thalassia, which lies right next to the Thalassian = mainland.=20 Extremely rare and its population concentrated in a precious few = valleys,=20 Psittacocephalus feeds on small animals it captures by = smothering them=20 into its chest-based second-head mouth, which is surrounded by small, = teeth-like=20 projections and a primitive version of the upper jaw keel that is so = prominent=20 in more =E2=80=9Cadvanced=E2=80=9D Tromobrachids. While it has no proper = arm-jaws,=20 Psittacocephalus can still use its free-swinging arms like jaws = by=20 pressing them against its chest area.
Despite its archaic characteristics, this animal also = bears a=20 number of unique adaptations that mark it off as a sideline rather than = an=20 ancestor. Its head bears a very large, brightly colored beak that males = knock=20 together in competitions of sexual prowess. The legs and feet, while=20 superficially similar to those of other Tromobrachids, nevertheless have = a=20 unique construction. For these reasons, Psittacocephalus is = classified=20 all by itself in the Protobrachid clade; a sister group to all other=20 Tromobrachids.
Back =
Copyright =
laws protect all=20
intellectual property associated with Snaiad.
All artwork, concepts =
and names=20
associated with this project belong to Nemo Ramjet, unless otherwise stated. =