#Rhydrus

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Rhydrus

Native to Africa, the Rhydrus resembles a cross between a Rhinoceros and a Hippopotamus and generally resides in lakes and waterways. Largely herbivorous, Rhydrus live in small troupes, usually led by the eldest female, with a few elder males, adult females, and young. Some adolescent males will break off from these troupes to roam, only meeting with them to mate. Although slow and ponderous on land, these creatures are swift in water and can stay submerged for a shockingly long time. While they cannot breathe water as Merpeople can, they are capable of rebreathing air using an alchemical interface in their lungs, as well as semi-surfacing to inhale via their hollow horns. These horns can grow to surprising length, and have long been prized by foreign big game hunters which are the creatures main predators.

Rhydrus are capable of going toe-to-toe with not just crocodiles but also hippopotami, though they will back off if their horns are damaged. By and large, however, Rhydri are generally peaceful unless provoked. While they are most commonly known for the sightings of them up and down the Nile - especially hornless juveniles surfacing for air, which are believed to have contributed to the depiction of Ammit the Destroyer, a figure of Ancient Egyptian cosmology - they are also found South of the Sahara, and it is believed that they may have migrated the distance long before the Sahara ever formed. Other theorists suggest that they may have migrated along the coast, as Rhydri are sometimes seen along the Egyptian edge of the Mediterranean. At present a number of muggle-born Magizoologists from across Africa are pushing to use muggle genetic testing to see how closely related these two groups of Rhydri are.

Aquatic Rhino - Legendary Games Illustration by BiPiCado

(I hate that I have to include this but PLEASE DO NOT DELETE THE IMAGE SOURCE OR MY CAPTION.)