#horned tortoise

[pleistocene-pride]

Meiolania also known as the horned turtle, is an extinct genus of meiolaniid stem-turtle that lived throughout Australia, Lord Howe Island, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, and Fiji from the Middle Miocene to early Holocene some 20 mya to 2,000 years ago. The first fossil remains of Meiolania where uncovered from Lord Howe Island by Sir Richard Owen in 1886 who thought they represented ancient lizards and assigned the remains as belonging to two species M. platyceps and M. minor (now a synonym of the former), dubbing the genus Meiolania meaning small roamer. In time however it was learned that Meiolania was actually a terrestrial turtle and today 3 species are recognized: M. platyceps, M. mackayi, and M. brevicollis. Reaching 4 to 8 feet in length and 250-1,000lbs in weight, Meiolania is a candidate for the largest known terrestrial turtle/ tortoise, rivaled only by Megalochelys atlas from Pleistocene Asia. Meiolania had an unusually shaped skull that sported many knob-like and horn-like protrusions. Two large horns faced sideways, and would have prevented the animal fully withdrawing its head into its shell. Aside from the large spikes on the head, Meiolania also had a spiked tail similar to some tails of the ankylosaurus and glyptodonts,  these may have been defensive features for protecting the head and tail extremities from predators as such adaptations would have made it difficult for predators to close their mouths around these spots without getting a mouthful of spikes. In life Meiolania would have inhabited Forests, Savannahs, and Wetlands feeding upon sedges, grasses, shrubs, flowers, cacti, fruit, and carrion. The disappearance of much of the Pleistocene megafauna is often attributed to the arrival of humans and in the case of Meiolania there is actually strong evidence to support this. In Vanuatu the remains of Meiolania have been found in the rubbish dumps of early human settlements, going extinct some three hundred years after the first human contact. 

Art can be found here:

https://twitter.com/serpenillus/status/1264250510753890307

https://www.deviantart.com/hodarinundu/art/New-Caledonia-3000-years-ago-903959697

[loveshetlands]

[bjekkergauken]

Lion king: north africa DLC

[thomaswaynewolf]

Do you have kids, grandkids, nieces, or nephews? Do you like to color (who am I kidding this is Tumblr, of course y’all do)? Then I’ve got 27 digital images to print at home of critters, creatures, and creepy crawlers from the American Southwest and beyond that you can fill in till your hearts content.

Mammals, reptiles, bugs, and a whole lot more from the Pleistocene Ice Age to today. All hand drawn by me, Thomas Wayne Riley. There are butterflies, mammoths, moose, bison, prairie dogs, mountain lions, wolves, and a bunch of other wild and woolly critchers. And they’re all based off of pictures I took in the wild or at museums.

All pictures are 8.5x11 or standard paper size and all are black and white.

These are not AI drawn or prompted. These are all drawn on the iPad by Thomas Wayne Riley from pictures that Thomas Wayne Riley took.

Do not support AI "art".

[spacefinch]

Ms. Frizzle’s students + finding desert animals

[arminreindl]

Gaffneylania: Argentinian Horned Turtle

Those familiar with the reptiles of Cenozoic Australia may be familiar with the turtle family known as the Meiolaniidae. A group of stem-turtles that appear deceptively like modern snapping turtles or land tortoises, yet are not especially close to either. To those that know them, Meiolaniids bear some resemblance to ankylosaurs or even ceratopsians, possessing horns that sometimes form frill like structures and having clubbed tails. The two illustrations below are by the always talented Hodari Nundu and were drawn for the articles on New Caledonia and Lord Howe Island by The Extinctions (check them out), featuring Meiolania mackayi and Meiolania platyceps respectively.

While meiolaniids are mostly associated with Australia and the surrounding islands, primarily around the later half of the Neogene and the Quarternary, their lineage starts much earlier and far away. Meiolaniids first appeared in Patagonia some 50 million years ago. Previously one genus was known from there, the frilled Niolamia, until in 2015 Sterli and colleagues described a second Argentinian meiolaniid: Gaffneylania auricularis (Gaffney's Roamer with Ears).

Now on a surface level, Gaffneylania is a wonderfully complete animal. We have parts of the skull, most of the lower jaw, multiple vertebrae of the neck and tail, various shell plates from different specimens and limb bones. In theory great, in practice not so much, as most these elements are sadly very fragmentary and disarticulated. So it takes some creativity to put things together.

Take the horns for example. While we have parts of the skull, we lack the skull roof and most of the upper jaw (safe for a fragment of the maxilla+premaxilla). So we don't have as clear a picture of how the horns and shields of Gaffneylania should look like. We do have a horn, but its broken at the base so we can't tell how it would fit on the skull. Still we can look at it and compare it to others. Now from the front, the horns of Gaffneylania (1st from the left) are broad and flattened, similar to what we see in Niolamia (2nd from the left) yet different in having rounded, not pointed, tips. They also differ clearly from the less flat horns we see in Ninjemys and Meiolania (3rd and 4th respectively). The images below in order are from Sterli et al. 2015, Victoria Arbour, Ghedo and David Morgan-Mar.

In other parts it also generally matches other meiolaniids. The limbs are very robust and short, the lower jaw is short but differs from Meiolania in having two, not three cutting ridges, and further differs in which ridge is the bigger one. The shell tho known mostly from individual fragments does at least show that its outer edge was serrated rather than smooth. The fossil material also includes a series of osteoderms, bone that was embeded into the skin and functioned as armor. These osteoderms came in different sizes and likely covered the forelimbs of Gaffneylania. Below are elements from Gaffneylania compared to Niolamia (reconstruction by Sterli et al. 2011) and to Miolania (Richard Owen 1888).

Anatomically there isn't a whole lot more to break down, as we don't have preserved tail rings that form the tail club in derived neiolaniids (tho that would have been useful in determining relationships). So lets briefly address how it happens that meiolaniids are known from Australia and South America, despite their distance. The short answer is rather simple. Antarctica. Meiolaniiformes were a chiefly Gondwanan group that at one point or another disperesed into Antarctica, at the time not yet a frozen wasteland, and continued to diversify there. From Antarctica, meiolaniids could have traveled to both South America and Australia before the two continents split off entirely. Through this, members of the same family ended up on vastly different continents when climate began to change for the worse, becoming colder and dryer. And that's when the paths diverged. South America didn't move especially much and around the Middle Eocene turtles began to go extinct in Patagonia, unable to deal with the temperatures. Things would have gone similarily in Australia if it wasn't for the fact that the continent was continuously drifting north at the same time, balancing out the climate change with just getting closer to warmer latitudes. But even then, meiolaniids on the mainland suffered the same fate as much of Australia's megafauna while their island relatives might have survived longer, but obviously not until today.

To any paleoartists out there, there has seemingly never been an attempt at reconstructing this animal. Just thought I might mention that. And of course the obligatory Wikipedia page, courtesy of yours truly: Gaffneylania - Wikipedia

[mlarayoukai]

Be the change u wanna see in the world!

I tried but my lenses are so thick because I'm legally blind so I can't :( besides I can't see myself without a mirror so it doesn't matter. I want to see other people in them! Preferably men ages 20-29!

[givemewallywestorgivemedeath]

For reference, one of these is a Red Eared Slider and one is a Yellow Bellied Slider. Can you tell which is which?

The left is a Yellow Bellied Slider (the 's' marking) and the right is a Red Eared Slider with very little red coloration (a thing that can happen due to illness, poor nutrition or just genetics)

Below are all pictures of different Yellow Bellied Slider/Red Eared Slider Hybrids (extremely common):

Any red coloration at all means that it's a hybrid, even if it was a few generations back.

And, to demonstrate how difficult it can be to tell sliders apart, below are three different species of sliders. You'll note that, especially as hatchlings, they look nearly identical:

These are the Yellow Bellied Slider, the Cumberland Slider and the Red Eared Slider, in that order.

Also! Fun fact, there already is a Yellow Bellied Slider Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle! Yi from the Last Ronin is one:

A visualization of why I think Frida is a Yellow Belly Slider, feat. Leo's original design

Basically, the 'S' ear markings on Yellow Belly Sliders are what help scientists identify them from Yellow Belly-Red Eared Hybrids (very common) and Red Eared Sliders (which can come with pale orange/yellowish face markings instead of red occasionally)

Yellow Belly Sliders are an endangered species and Red Eared Sliders are an invasive species and the two are so similar (two different sub-species of the same species) that they are almost impossible to tell apart. The 's' and 'c' markings (and any red coloration) is the easiest way to tell them apart.

[regal-bones]

SWORDTEMBER DAY 27: WHIMSICAL

Peregrini Dilecti, of carnival wishes and tortoise’s dream 🐢🎪 A sudden sharp breath, air floods your lungs as you open your eyes. Around you, a sea of thick white fog across a flat, pale, stone floor. Somewhere out there, lost in the storm, the carnival. You can hear it, far off in the distance. Upbeat, cheery brass horns, rhythmic cowbell, people cheering. All through a warped, immense distance, the sound was so faint. You peer in that direction, but the fog is so thick. Great heavy shadows against the clouds, a towering ferris wheel, tall brass pipes singing summer songs. A huge, lumbering beast making a steady pace, hauling the parade on reins of coloured string lights. Green, red, and blue bleed through the fog from faint, scuffed bulbs. The air is so cold, so crisp as you breathe it in. You take a deep breath, and begin walking. In the distance, the carnival horns pick up their tempo, eager and excited, welcoming you to the dance.

Long time followers might remember Horace, Peregrine, and the Carnival of Dreams :} if you don’t know what I’m talking about, go follow the link on this post from a few years back! I miss writing curated curios, but Swordtember is always such a fun time to flesh out this universe a little more!

Yesterday’s sword!

You can support me on Patreon for £1 and help me make stuff like this!

[memories-of-ancients]

Gilded silver and tortoise shell drinking horn, crafted by Cornelius Gross of Augsburg, Germany, circa 1560-1570

from The Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

[bones4thecats]

Having Children With Their Fem! S/O

Characters: Aku, Father, Vilgax and Lord Garmadon Inspired By: Random Thoughts A/N: I know that a couple of these characters either don't like kids or just feel basically nothing for them, but this is just something I had to write! ⚠️ Spoilers/Trigger Warnings for: Operation Zero and the Lego Ninjago Series and mentions of abandonment and divorce ⚠️

••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●•

»»—————————————-　  Aku 　—————————————-««

👹 Aku prided himself on being a heartless being made of consistent darkness. But, when it came to you, his longtime wife who was created by a similar amount of energy, he was fairly fair

👹 He has always been focused on furthering his rule of the pathetic mortals in which he despised to the point where it led to him having seven girls with a woman called the High Priestess, though it was with his magic, he did not do anything disgusting in his opinion with her

👹 Despite knowing he felt nothing towards the woman and only viewed the girls as his personal soldiers, you couldn't help but feel inferior to the Priestess, she has done something that you possibly never could with Aku. Though, you did treat the girls as your own, since their mother seemingly could care less

👹 The one thing that made Aku think of having children with you was seeing you pick up a small group of baby aliens from a clan that wished to be relocated to Earth and begin to tickle them with one of your long claw-shaped fingers

👹 As the aliens left after hearing their conditions of living on his and your planet, Aku looked to you and motioned for you both to return to your personal chambers, which you did willingly and without fear

"My yang, I noticed how you looked at those young Vadaquians with a... warm and wholesome stare. That is completely unlike the lovingly evil woman I married and pledged loyalty too. So, if I may question, what is your issue?"

👹 You sighed and lowered your shoulders before shifting into a tortoise and hiding yourself inside of your shell before announcing it was dumb and he could just not bother himself with your issues

"Y/N, you're my wife of hundreds of years. I decided myself if I wanted to handle your thoughts and worries when I laid that shadow-bonding ring around your finger. Now, what is it your worried about?"

"It's just... you know the girls. I just... I want something like that."

"And that can be arranged with swift ease."

"Wait- really? You'd do that for me?"

"I would do anything for the woman who allows me to feel something other than hatred."

»--•--«

👹 And that he did. Just 9 months after the events of Samurai Jack's return and renewing the top-hunted foe to be the time-traveled man, you welcomed a young boy, whom Aku named Oni

👹 You smiled and lightly ran your hands against the baby's long trio set of horns that matched his fathers as his large pure-white eyes opened with tiny specks of white fire erupting from them. When it came to appearance, he took after his father, though your color scheme popped more than the Shogun of Sorrow's

"Ah, there is my little boy and woman!"

"And there is my stubborn husband."

"Hey now! Don't get me wrong, I wanted to be here for the special event, but I needed to get that Samurai fool out of my way again. He almost found the portal back to his time, and if he does..."

"Oni doesn't live..."

"Correct. This is all for him, and us, and I suppose his sisters and their mother."

👹 Chuckling as your baby began to shift his way to his father, the demonic being allow him to sit on his horns, giggling as he acted like the man he has observed for the past few weeks over the small portal that showed him and Jack's fight, but mainly him

"He will be the perfect next generational heir, don't you think?"

"Yes. I do, Aku."

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»»———————-　Benedict 'Father' Wigglestein　———————-««

🔥 It was no secret that your husband was far from a child-guy. He constantly provided evidence that he hated kids beyond any kind of recognition. He even hated the children that you two were forced to adopt

🔥 When Benedict married you, he laid it out plain as day that he never planned on having children, and you wholeheartedly accepted that

🔥 But, ever since the Delightful Children from Down the Lane joined your family and therefore home, you began to crave having an actual family. One not bounded by a Delightfulization-Chamber, but by blood and the love you two shared for one another

🔥 And while it was easy to think this all without saying it out-loud, even beginning to wonder about how he would reply was enough to make you want to curl up into a ball and stay there forever

🔥 Thankfully the sound of a five-way synchronized knock allowed you to be free of your thoughts. And you merely sat up from your desk and called to the children to come on inside

"Good afternoon, Mother. Father wishes your presence in his office."

🔥 You smiled at the kids and gave them each a pat on their heads before allowing them to walk to their rooms and get ready for bed. Once each of their doors closed you grabbed your husband's notebook, suspecting that was what he needed

🔥 He has a bad habit of leaving stuff in your room. Honestly he needs a better sleep schedule (not me scolding him when I barely sleep😐)

🔥 While the door to his office opened, you took a deep breath and readied yourself, hoping that his day wasn't filled with a ton of disappointments. You may be his wife, but his anger was something not even you could escape

🔥 You noticed that there was a lack of anything on fire, so, you took the chance to make some small chit-chat while your husband worked away on some papers and beckoned with his hand for you to hand him his notes

"My dear, I've been wondering how your day's been."

"It's been decent, better than normal thankfully."

"Well... there is one thing I've been meaning to speak to you about, if you don't mind-"

"If the children have done something, I swear to-"

"No! No, no! The children have done perfectly well since the last incident. It's just... oh nevermind, it's nothing that important."

🔥 Benedict went from staring intently at his paperwork to looking at your seemingly guilt-ridden face and his yellow eyes narrowed, which was prominent from the darkness of his suit

"Y/N, everything you say is important to me. Well, as long as it has nothing to do with random cravings, because those have been getting worse and worse over the past few days."

"Yeah, about that..."

"I mean, you're acting like how Monty would call and describe his wife when she was pregnant with his boy."

🔥 Oh this was pointless. Reaching into the pocket of your black hoodie that Ben gifted you for your birthday just days prior, you pulled out a small box and laid it down in front of him

"What's this for?"

"Just- open it, please."

"Is this a... pregnancy test? Oh sweet sasperilla, you're pregnant?! But I- we..."

"I understand that you aren't fond of children, so we don't have to have them if you don't want to."

"Do... you want the child?"

"I would prefer to give them a shot at life than to not."

"Then... okay. We can have the child... if you want too. This shouldn't only be my choice, it should also be yours. I may hate children to a degree but, I cannot hate you and your choices."

"Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah. Now, if it's a boy, can we name it Benedict Wigglestein III?"

"No."

»--•--«

🔥 The sound of the collected family in the hospital's main room rung freely as the members of the Uno Family and the Wigglestein Family all wondered how you were doing in the delivery room. Ever since your screams stopped, Monty couldn't help but fear you were hurt to the point of possible surgery

🔥 All of a sudden, his brother walked out of the doors with a mixture of both traumatized and happiness written on his face, though it was mainly in his eyes

"Ben? How's Y/N and the baby?"

"I... I have twins..."

"Wait- twins?! Aw! A boy and a girl?"

🔥 Monty smiled at his wife before ushering his brother back into your room and patting his shoulder in assurance. And he couldn't help but chuckle as his brother walked into the room where you and your children no doubt were

🔥 He couldn't be anymore proud of him

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»»—————————————-　Vilgax　—————————————-««

🐙 While living for many years as a Warlord was something that many only viewed your husband as being, it was his closest allies and people that saw who he was outside of his work; a loyal and caring husband

🐙 As a member of the Chimera Sui Generis species, training for battle was a big part of your childhood. And when you first met your future spouse by training to be top-servers of your planet, he was smitten

🐙 Overtime you witnessed the destruction and new colonization of planets. And since you serves as his right-hand, Vilgax and you would see many types of families, the most common being fathers, mothers and their children

🐙 And seeing the male and female members of the army grow and expand with their families adding more members, you couldn't help but wonder; would this ever happen for you and Vilgax?

🐙 Normally he was busy with his work, so getting a decent time to speak one-on-one with your husband was hard. Nonetheless trying to talk about something so important to both you and your lives together

🐙 You were beginning to lose faith in actually talking to him, but when one of Vilgax's best men came inside of the control room you turned around and recognized him to be the one who always guarded the emergency medic and doctor's zone of the ship

"What is it you need, Soldier Axiomar?"

"Doctor Xiliv has requested her for a quick check-up, since she has been complaining of some stomach issues as of late."

"Alright. Would you like me to accompany you, Y/N?"

"I think I'll be alright... really."

🐙 Giving you a kiss on the forehead, Vilgax focused back on the coordinates of their way to Earth. You just nodded to Axiomar as he lead you to the medical room where Xiliv was waiting

🐙 Deep inside as you sat on the frequently cleaned chair, you knew what the Doctor and Medic were going to say

"Your highness, it appears that you- well."

"I know."

"Do you want us to tell Lord Vilgax or not?"

"He'll find out either way, but I'll tell him, it just makes it easier for me."

"Understood."

🐙 As the large alien walked through the halls to his and your shared quarters, he wondered why you had been acting far more nervous and weary throughout the rest of the day. Maybe you had some kind of illness?

🐙 The sound of the doors opening and closing behind your form made you spin around quick. And Vilgax merely chuckled, from calm and composed to having their guard-up in no time. You really were a soldier by heart

"Y/N. What is it you needed to speak about? It better not be something I cannot fix. Because that would be near impossible. I would destroy the galaxy for you."

"It's no illness. Unless you consider a child an illness."

"Pardon, a what?"

»--•--«

🐙 Despite his initial hesitation in being a father and raising a young Chimera Sui Generis, but after gaining advice from some of his closest allies, some would say friends, he gained the extra bravery to face the next step in life with you

🐙 He stood beside your bed as you chuckled at the sight of your baby girl. Long tentacles in the shape of elongated human hair, a small, pink wrap being around her as her tiny red eyes blinked while giggles rang through the room

"She's beautiful."

"Just like you, love."

"What should we name her?" Doctor Xiliv asked.

"How about Shaviv? It means ray of life."

"It's perfect."

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»»——————————-　 Lord Garmadon 　——————————-««

🌋 This guy has never seen himself as an ideal parent. I mean, he literally was bitten by a serpent that made him an evil tyrant in the end and he didn't take a part in his son growing up due to his unfortunate incident

🌋 And while he praises himself on not being the man he once was before, there was always a lingering bit in his heart that stayed away from being corrupted. A piece of the old Garmadon in there. Hidden away

🌋 Over time he switched from evil to good, and that was how he met you

🌋 You were the sister of Ray, the previous Master of Fire before Kai took up the mantle. Growing up with Ray meant you were also trained in the art of being a ninja, though it was with the element of light that you controlled and not fire

🌋 Over the time of them being missing, you raised your niece, Nya, and nephew, Kai, and helped Garmadon's brother, Wu, train them and their friends. And as the serpent-bitten male grew into darker habits, you remained a beckon that he couldn't help but admire

🌋 Once he redeemed himself and helped fight against many enemies alongside you and the kids, he began to get close to both you and your old friend/next-door neighbor, Vinny Folson. And let's just say that the closeness evolved beyond simple friendship

🌋 While Misako was reluctant to accept Garmadon had another lover, she noticed just how caring you were and she began to bond with you with her ex-husband and son. In fact, she was the one to ask if you two were planning on taking the next step from just marriage to having children, much to you and his fluster

🌋 After the incident of the question with Misako. Garmadon told Vinny that you two would be out for a few days and that if he needed something, he could call. And as you two began to travel to a remote and well-taken-care-of cabin just outside of Ninjago, he began to let out a small amount of chit-chat

"Hey, Y/N... I have a question."

"What is it?"

"With what Misako said yesterday... at dinner. I was wondering if- you know."

"If I wanted kids?"

"Yeah... and I understand if you wouldn't! I'm not the best guy to have children with, just ask my ex-wife."

"Garmadon!"

🌋 Spinning his head to look at you, Garmadon watched you with observant eyes as you smiled gently and held his hand with one of yours and his face with the other. And he smiled as you nodded, small tears pricking his eyes as you laid your forehead upon one another's

»--•--«

🌋 The sound of cries erupting from a woman's hands made the people sitting in the waiting room look up in surprise and slight glee. Seven of the large group looked at the nurse and she took them all back, warning them that you would probably need some space

"Is that..."

"It is. Everyone, meet Nisshoku."

"Aw! I have a nephew now! Let's go!"

"Shut it, Ray."

[snapdragonessart]

Part 2 of my dragon dentition series 😊 ancients coming next! Teef info under the cut

Obelisks take inspiration from Chinese guardian lion statues, with their voluminous manes, big paws and fierce face. As such, their teeth would be similar to a lion’s dentition, with massive canines and carnassials. Although lions mainly eat land-based animals, they are also opportunistic and will sometimes eat fish and even insects. This doesn’t make up for any large part of their diet, however, and in this way they differ from Obelisks which only eat seafood and bugs. Jaguars make a better match for Obelisks in regards to food, as they eat aquatic prey more often than lions do, with one remote population of jaguars in Brazil primarily feeding on aquatic reptiles and fish.

Pearlcatchers were pretty tricky to pin down. Their body and face look almost horse or deer-shaped. Their diet is insects and plants. The only creature that came to mind for Pearlcatchers were qilins; one-horned legendary beasts from Chinese mythology. They’re fully scaled, with dragon-like faces and a body shaped like a horse, deer or goat. This seems to fit Pearlcatcher’s the most, but figuring out their dentition is another matter. There’s not really a 1-to-1 comparative animal I can base their teeth on, so I think they’d be a mish-mash of different tooth structures. They’d have larger canines, maybe like a musk deer, but the rest of their teeth would follow a more herbivorous design. They’d have large, flat molars and premolars for grinding up plants, probably similar to a horse or goat. 

Ridgebacks are basically land-sharks, no question. Their diet and face says it all. Although their snouts look more like goblin sharks to me, I don’t think they’d have those creepy mouths. Their dentition would be more like a great white; they’d have a mouth full of serrated, razor sharp teeth. Like actual sharks, Ridgeback’s would have a reserve of extra teeth in their jaws. 

Skydancer dragons present another tricky situation. They’re bird dragons, and eat plants and insects like Pearlcatchers. Although some official art shows them with teeth, I don’t think they’d actually have them. The closest structure to teeth that's found in birds is the tomia, which is the cutting edge of the upper and lower beak. Tomia is not made of enamel, but of cartilage. Seed-eating birds use this to slice through seed hulls, and birds of prey like falcons have a single sharp projection to rip meat and insects apart. Geese have tomia on their tongues, which pushes the food back towards their throat as they eat. Skydancers probably have a gizzard as well, as the tomia is not enough on its own to grind food down completely. It was hard to figure out what the Skydancer’s beak would be most similar to; out of all the more hook beaked birds, it reminded me most of vultures or eagles, although in diet they do not match them at all. Skydancer beaks are a mish-mash of different bird characteristics that I thought would fit them the most, rather than based on a single bird in particular.

Snappers are tortoise dragons, and like tortoises they’d have ridges in their beaks to help chew food. The official lore states that their beaks are “lined with molars that begin halfway down the jaw and continue all the way to the back”. Real-life tortoises don’t have teeth, so I’d imagine these structures would be like the tomia of birds. Their diet would be a mix of what tortoises and turtles eat, as Snappers eat both plants and seafood.

Spirals really remind me of ferrets, with their noodley bodies and energetic, chaotic nature. Like ferrets, they’d have sharp little canines, incisors and carnassials for shredding meat. Ferrets mainly eat meat, but will also eat bugs too, which matches up with the Spirals diet.

Tundra dragons are currently the only purely herbivorous dragon. The lore states that they have “impressive canine teeth used for combat. The majority of their jaw is set with flat, wide molars, perfect for grinding up scrub.” They’d be most similar to musk deers in dentition, with both male and female Tundras having the enlarged canines characteristic of male musk deer. The canines wouldn’t be as thin or long as a musk deer; they would be thick, robust, and fit more snugly inside the mouth. 

Last for the modern breeds, we have the Wildclaws. They’re raptor dragons, based on the Dromaeosaurids - raptor dinosaurs (velociraptors, utahraptors, etc). Like raptors, Wildclaws would have widely spaced and serrated teeth. They’d be fairly equal in shape, and would curve backwards.  Raptors were carnivorous, which fits with the Wildclaw’s meat diet.

[softagenda]

pillow talk (multi)

rating: m+

drabble collection: moments with each LI in the sheets, told through intimate and vaguely sinister drabbles

originally posted on ao3

masterlist

Preview

You stared into the smoldering fire by the bed, amidst the sumptuous blankets and furs, from the prison of his arms, suddenly cold.

Leander

“And how does the magic happen,” you teased, now languorous and slightly drunk, your body aching pleasantly and cheek pressed to his bare chest.

“Give and take, beautiful.” His hand stroked along your back, tracing a swirling, winding pattern.The rings on his fingers brushed a cool kiss against your skin. “Sometimes, it’s a small thing: a free drink here, a favor there. For others, well… every debt must be repaid in equal measure.”

A handful of free drinks. A room at the inn. 

Information, knowledge of the city, a personal guide. 

Minutes - an hour now, altogether - holding your hand, resisting an ancient curse, a risk of incalculable value.

You stared into the smoldering fire by the bed, amidst the sumptuous blankets and furs, from the prison of his arms, suddenly cold. 

The tip of a finger dipped in the valley of your spine and drew a line up your back. As though he felt the slight stiffening of your body, his hand settled against the nape of your neck, his palm a hot, firm weight holding you to him. His thumb sat below your jaw, stopping over your pulse.

Leander rested his cheek against your head and pressed a kiss to your hair, the words drifting across your ear like the mist enshrouding the city.  “The only truth of this universe is this: nothing is free.”

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Kuras

Candlelight brought you from the shadows of your doze.

Blurrily, you nuzzled closer to the firm pillow by your face when the familiar scent of  magnolia - sweet, slightly citrus, earthy - filtered through your senses, alerting you like smoke in a barn.

Your eyes opened. 

The pillow was, in fact, a thick, muscled thigh covered in a layer of white cotton trousers. Following the leg upward, you took in the sight of Kuras in the dim,  flickering light of a single candle by the bedside. He held a book in his lap, one hand idly turning a withered page. A thin trail of smoke drifted into the dark beyond his shoulder.

Gold eyes met yours after a moment. Even in the deep night, they glowed brighter than the flame at his hip. 

He smiled indulgently. “Dawn will not break for  a few hours more. Sleep.” 

You stared at that smile, blinking heavily, clinging to wakefulness for just a little longer. A thought nudged at the fuzzy edges of your mind at the smile, the eyes - a thread of disquiet amidst the warm cocoon of blankets and his body.

Kuras lifted one hand and turned to the bedside table. A thin stick passed through the flame, the smoke blooming like petals from the stem, before magnolias perfumed into the air once more. 

As the scent wrapped around you, filled your lungs, soothed the voice at the back of your mind, a large hand cupped your cheek. His thumb caressed the corner of your eye before coaxing the lid shut and lingering there, gently holding.

“Sleep. I am here with you. I will watch over you.”

You slipped back into the night.

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Ais

The soft bubbling of water woke you.

Your hand sleepily tugged the kimono over the bared edge of your shoulder. You’re curled into a ball beneath the thin fabric, legs fully tucked under the hem, hands curled against your chest, a tortoise sheltering from the cool, humid air drifting from the water’s edge.

Peering through the folds, you stared at the empty sheets next to your eyes adjusted to the night. Then, turning on your other side, you looked for him.

Glowing red eyes caught yours instantly.

He leaned against the open door. Moonlight painted his chest and shoulders pale silver, glinting sharp on the necklace that hung by his navel, his rings, his horns. A cigarette lingered by his mouth. As he drew another puff, embers burned and flared at the end.

“Want a hit?”

You sighed and rolled over on the bed, cheek pressed to the cold sheets. “No. Could use a drink though.” Your mouth felt dry, your belly hollow.

Ais held your gaze for a moment before releasing the smoke in a soft grin. He flicked the cigarette outside the door and strode over, bare feet silent on the creaking wood of the old pier.

At the edge sat a chalice. With two fingers, he hooked the rim, knelt by the red waters, and dipped it beneath the Seaspring.

The chalice full to the brim, spilling over his fingers, Ais took a seat on the bed and braced his arm over you. Several drops fell to the sheets; they wicked into the fabric, not fading to a blush but thickening like blood.

You glanced up from the stain to his face cast in shadow, the red gleam of his eyes thickening too, swallowing up his pupil..

“Drink up, sparrow.”

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Vere

A claw traced delicately over the crown of your head before sinking into the length of your hair. He stroked as though petting a cat - idly, indulgently, reclined against the mountain of pillows on his bed and curled above you with his chin braced on his palm and bent elbow.

You laid there on the sheets, sweaty and panting, every nerve in your body vibrating, aching with the ghost of pleasure and pain. A sickly feeling sapped the strength from your body. The gold veins across your hands and arms felt hollow as scorched earth.

“Can’t catch a breath?” His voice curled with smug satisfaction, the smirk evident without needing to see for yourself.  “All that muscle and misery, with the stamina of a virgin.”

Craning your head back, you glared at Vere through the messy fringe of hair sticking to your face. His claws pricked the nape of your neck. You arched your back away from the bright points of pain and heat.

“Soon, I’ll have you trained to my tastes,” he mused, his gaze trailing down your bare body. “Enough to sate me, at the very least. It’d be troublesome to have you burn out too fast.” 

Fur brushed against your thighs and stomach. His thick, russet tail flowed over your body in a fiery river, the soft pelt tickling over your skin. Heat radiated from it, the ancient magic humming in his veins, less volatile now that he’d taken the edge off.

After one last teasing prick of claw, Vere reached down and lifted the length of chain pooled on the sheets. He slipped the end around your neck and pulled through. 

Then, with a rumbling sigh, he leaned back against the pillows and closed his eyes. “Wake me up before noon, and you’re lunch.”

With a flick of his hand, the candles extinguished. 

You stare at the dark ceiling, cold steel brushing your throat with every breath.

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Mhin

A chill settled over your skin, casting your dreams in shades of winter. Goosebumps rolled down your arms in a wave. Subtle, heavy breaths disturbed the peace of the night.

Your eyes shot open.

The window gaped open. An autumn breeze stole inside, undulating against the curtains. Clear moonlight spilled across the floor, illuminating the toe of a boot and a pool of blood. A ghostly figure sat beneath the sil.

Heart pounding, you held still, squinting through your lashes, trying to see the face hiding within shadow.

Thick leather pants and bracers. Flowing white shirt. Midnight blue hood, hooked to the collar with silver rings. The light caught the edges of messy hair beneath the hood, shining in the gloom like frost across a frozen pond.

Your hand released its taught grip on the dagger beneath your pillow.

Wrapping the blankets around your body, you sat up and leaned across the mattress. “.... Mhin?”

White eyes with red pupils appeared within the shadowed face. 

You shuffled to the edge of the bed. Glancing at the blood, you asked, “are you injured?”

After a quiet moment, they slowly shook their head. Mhin folded one leg and braced their arm on their knee. In their hand was a silver dagger, twin to the one you’d hidden beneath your pillow. Fresh blood licked the edge of the blade.

“Are the bodies on the roof or the street?”

Finally, a spark appeared in their eyes. “Strung them up like gargoyles.” 

You huffed a laugh. Fresh corpses lured Soulless like flies to honey. They’d never. “How thoughtful of you to help decorate for Leander’s party tomorrow.”

Mhin shot you a weary look that clearly spelled the fuck do you think, before their head dropped back on the wall with a soft thud. The bruises beneath their eyes were dark as plums. They’d never slept soundly, but since the attacks had started, a few good hours had dwindled into a half hour here and there at best.

You considered chiding them for a moment before sighing and rising from the bed. Scooping the quilt from the bed, you shuffled over and dropped down to the floor next to them.

“What are you doing,” they grumbled, frowning when you leaned into Mhin’s side. 

Heedless of the blood wicking into the sheets, you spread the bedcovers across their lap and yours before gingerly resting your head on their shoulder. 

Mhin sucked in a breath. “You’re not actually going to sleep like this?” When you only closed your eyes, they growled, “Ridiculous.”

Minutes passed. Then, “I’ll shove you off the second another wave hits. You realize that, right?”

You kept silent. Beneath the sheets, you found their hand and covered the back with your palm, fingers webbing through the gaps between theirs,  hoping to warm them.

“Your back’s going to hurt like hell tomorrow.” 

Then slowly, as the night and their body next to yours filled you with a sense of safety, their grip tightened on your fingers.

A smile slipped across your mouth as you drifted off to sleep once more.

_____________________________

a/n: ending on a fluffy note - comments and likes are appreciated!

[yoga-onion]

Legends of the humanoids

Reptilian humanoids (6)

Azure Dragon – Meng Zhang, the blue divine sovereign who protects the East.

The Azure Dragon is one of the guardians of the four cardinal directions in traditional Chinese culture, and according to the Five Elements phylosophy (Wuxing: Ref), the Azure Dragon is a spirit animal of the East. The Azure dragon has been considered a auspicious sign since ancient times, and governs spring (January, February and March).

In the Taoist version of his name, he was known as the divine sovereign ‘Meng Zhang’ and was the founder of the Dragon Tribe (a tribe that lived in the Dragon Realm and respected freedom).

The guardians of the four cardinal directions is another name for the Four Gods (Four Symbols) in Chinese mythology. They are the Blue Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird and the Black Tortoise (also called "Black Warrior").

Symbol of the five elements of the bagua, god of the four directions, genus of the divine sovereigns.

In Taoism, the Four Symbols have been assigned human identities and names. The Azure Dragon of the East is named ‘Meng Zhang’, the Vermilion Bird of the South is called ‘Ling Guang’, the White Tiger of the West is ‘Jian Bing’, and the Black Tortoise of the North ‘Zhi Ming’.

Astronomically, it corresponds to the Chinese constellations system, the Seven Eastern Mansions of the Twenty-Eight Mansions. The name derives from the seven eastern mansions (Horn, Neck, Root, Room, Heart, Tail and Winnowing Basket) being linked together to form the figure of a dragon.

伝説のヒューマノイドたち

ヒト型爬虫類 (6)

青龍 〜 東方を守護する蒼い神君「孟章」

青龍は中国の伝統文化の中の天之四霊 (てんのしれい) の一つで、五行学説（参照）に基づくと、青龍は東方の霊獣である。青龍は古来瑞兆とされており、青龍は、春 (1月、2月、3月) を司る。

道教における人格神化した名前では、神君「孟章」と呼ばれ、「龍族 (龍界に住み、自由であることを尊ぶ種族)」の始祖とされた。

天之四霊（てんのしれい）は、中国神話に登場する四神（四象）の別称。青龍、白虎、朱雀、玄武のことである。八卦五行の象徴、四方の神、四帝の属。

道教では、四象には人間の身分と名前が与えられている。東の青龍は孟章（もうしょう）、南の朱雀は霊光（れいこう）、西の白虎は建冰（けんびん）、北の黒亀は執明（めいしゅう）と呼ばれる。

天文学的には、中国の星座系、二十八宿の東方七宿に相当する。東方七宿（角宿・亢宿(頸)・氐宿(根)・房宿(室)・心宿・尾宿・箕宿）が連なり、龍の姿になることからこの名がある。

[milksockets]

'massive necklace by lalique, 1903-4, in which striding tigers carved in horn alternate with pointed tortoise-shell-shaped feline incisors' in the jeweled menagerie: the world of animals in gems - suzanne tennenbaum + janet zapata (2001)

[wicked-by-nature--au]

Filsol the Stargazer

“The troll who stared at the Sun”

(Note; these character posts will be updated when there's new stuff to add to them.)

Adoptive father of Gunmar

Husband of Kára-Tak, goes by "Fil" for short.

The title "Stargazer" is from his field of profession, he is sorta like an astronomer and studies the star map.

Durable but fairly nimble build, he stands at about 8'5 ft at the highest part of his horns, shorter than his wife.

Has an armored and spiky back with a more softer and vulnerable underside. His forearms also possess the same protective armor that he uses to shield the soft underbelly if necessary.

Immersive and studious, Filsol is intelligent and calm, with a friendly demeanor. He can be sensitive and might take time to get used to things.

--- More possibly coming later ---

Some things about Filsol:

Fil has been able to see the Sun via special equipment (the same stuff Bodus' spectacles was made from).

He's about the same age as Kára, about 25 in human years.

Lives in Central Europe.

He helps groom his wife's mane, and often does so when laying in a "cuddle puddle" with her.

He's a bit jealous of Kára's fur, since he’s a troll that doesn't have hair (but he would never say or admit it out loud).

He's left handed. And like his wife, he has a small scar/dent on his side from a previous attempt to create a birthstone, but instead of having it on his left side like Kára, he has it on the right side, because it's the opposite side of his dominant hand.

His tail is quite heavy and drags on the ground most of the time.

Underside of the neck has small spikes and it can flare up a little, sorta like a bearded dragon's.

His design was inspired by many types of different reptiles, such as; bearded dragon, thorny devil, alligator snapping turtle, sulcata tortoise, crocodilia and the extinct borealopelta markmitchelli.

His skin is based off of citrine

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Go check Kára-Tak

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(Like I earlier said, these things will be updated and I will add more text and images over time, so stay tuned.)

- HuttuHarakka

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Color swatches from the canvas, just in case.