#shaikel

[vinesoy]

BIRD

Bird.

"Darters, or Yuun, are a group of flighted Microraptorians, all Darters exhibit the ability of powered flight and are native only to Wojuikea aside from one species that also has a small population in northern Raabeke.

The largest species, the Spectacled Darter, is a short winged pursuit predator that predominantly hunts smaller Darters, arboreal sphinx, and penguins. The attached image is of a Spectacled Dasher in flight, their wingspan is much more impressive than the angle leads on.

Darters and Dashers share many similar behaviors and so I won't be detailing many of them, however, I will note Darters have been domesticated by Indigenous Wojuikeans

The Boltbirds are a group of domestic Darters used in hunting, tracking, and all around companionship. Many Boltbirds are bred for speed which their namesake, even the predominantly terrestrial Darters are cursorial.

Another difference with Dashers is their hunting method, many Darters prefer to snatch prey with their talons and fly them into a tree before using their slicing teeth to rip open the throat of their prey.

Spectacled Darters are solitary animals asside from once they've aquired a monogamous mate, Spectacled Darter chicks take about 6 years to mature and are forced to leave the nest as they grow flight feathers at 2.

Darters are known for their brilliant calls, ranging from loud caw-like hisses, to small complex 'ticks' as I've heard them called. These calls vary wildly from species to species and many consider them languages of some sort due to their complexity, although very primitive ones.

Local Wojuikeans are warry of Spectacled Darters, due to their preference for primate meat, human children are sadly on the menu." Vincent Allen, former Earth zoologist, and Shaikei Naturalist

[vinesoy]

Hi

Bird

"Dashers, or Yuuv, are a group of predominantly gliding but flightless Microraptorians closely related to their smaller flighted relatives the Darters, Black Dashers, or Deniizu which I'm told translates to 'Kidnappers Fall from Trees', a fitting name based off their preferred hunting tactic.

Dashers are cursorial and arboreal being better at one over the other depending on the species, Black Dashers are proficient climbers but are too large to efficiently chase prey in the trees, they often sit in trees and watch the floor, leaping out of the tree onto their prey once it wanders close enough, they kill with the raptor prey restraint technique observed in related dromaeosaurs.

If a Black Dasher fails to get the jump on it's prey it will chase it down on it's slender legs. Black Dashers will also use their strong legs to jump from tree to tree, quietly making their way to it's prey.

Dashers are social animals, especially Black Dashers. Black Dashers live in tight knit groups of unrelated individuals, almost like a friend group, each individual in these groups are monogamously connected and will choose the same partner to mate with during mating season year after year. That's just the usual however, I've documented a handful of groups that partake in what seems to be polyamory.

These groups will work together to ambush larger prey, or to snatch young from larger animals including Sphinx, they tend target the young of Sphinx, seemingly understanding that Sphinx are their main competitors.

Dasher chicks are held in trees in nests made from hollowed out portions of trees and gaurded loyaly by their flock, the flock shares one communal nest and each member puts equal effort into the eggs and the chicks that hatch from them.

Dashers as a group tend to live about 12-25 years, Black Dashers living the longest and the smallest species, Speckled Dashers living the shortest. On average Dashers take 3-10 years to mature.

Black Dashers are seen as sacred by Wojuikean people, as they rarely attack settlements and actively kill the main predator of Wojuikean natives, the Sphinx

However smaller species like Epualette Dashers and especially Burglar Birds are known to frequently hunt livestock and break into homes." Vincent Allen, former Earth zoologist, and Shaikei Naturalist

[vinesoy]

I should start catching my creature posts up on tumblr to where they are on twitter teehee

Expect more from me soonish, maybe even later today idk

"Xerqyi (Zehr-ch-yee) are one of the largest oviraptorids of Shaikel, only rivaled by the Emperor Cockatrice of the Southern Continent, Tonjuikea. Xerqyi are Caenagnathid Oviraptorosaurs, they live in the dense forests of Wojuikea in large herds, these herds comprising of on average 1 rooster, 5 to 8 hens, and a varying ammount of chicks depending on the season, or Batchelor or Bachelorette groups of up to 10 individuals.

Xerqyi are territorial, especially when chicks are nearby so studying them has been dangerous but we have gathered as much information as possible.

Xerqyi are omnivorous, they are highly generalist animals and feed on all manner of plants and predominantly scavenge meat, although im sure Xerqyi hunt small animals and young on occasion. Xerqyi males have vibrant head crests covered in feathers, this display is made up of blues and greens, their wings are black and the spots in the feathers are a loud iridescent yellow that reflects light to a degree it could temporarily or even permanently blind any potential predator, this is suspected to be the reason both males and females possess these display feathers. Both sexes are predominantly dark brown and white, they patterning on their bodies helping them blend in to their forested homes, presumably mainly used by young to hide as adults can easily fend off troops of Polar Sphinx and packs of Black Dashers. Xerqyi chicks are forced out of the flock during late adolescence and often continue living with their siblings until reaching early adulthood where they split off to form their own herds.

Xerqyi take about 8 years to grow to adulthood and live up to nearly 40 years. Xerqyi nests and the nests of other polar oviraptorosaurs are different from those of more tropical species, polar oviraptorosaurs, commonly known as Snowy Cockatrice typically build their nests out of insulating twigs, foliage, and integument scavenged from other animals. These nests are used more as places to store eggs than to incubate them, eggs are overall safer and warmer being carried by their parents, Snowy Cockatrice hold their eggs close to their bodies to ensure they are warm and safe, Snowy Cockatrice chicks are also often held by their parents to avoid losing them in deep snow, however these chicks hatch with long legs to aid in avoiding that once they start walking.

Xerqyi and other Snowy Cockatrice are covered in dense, shaggy feathers made for trapping heat, as well as having complex nasal passages to warm air as it enters the animal's body, chicks are especially fluffy to keep warm, as adorable as they are it's worth pointing out again that approaching a Xerqyi will most definitely end in you being mauled by one or more very angry elephant sized parents.

It is unknown whether or not Xerqyi are directly related to Earth's Gigantoraptor but studies show they're most likely not, it's more likely Xerqyi are descendants of much smaller Caenagnathids that adapted to living in the colder regions of Shaikel before growing large, it's suspected this large size was only aquired due to the absence of large Saurolophin Hadrosaurs in the region after a minor extinction, however Xerqyi now face some competition from the Moosegeese that grew in their place, as well as the relatively newly arriving Royal Camels, a giant species of camel adapted to the cold." - Shaikei Naturalist, Alver Swan

[vinesoy]

Hi

Big camel lol

"The Relttr, or as it's commonly known, the Emperor Camel, is a species of giant camel native to Wojuikean tundras, highlands, and sparse forests. Camels are a relatively new addition to the cast of animals inhabiting Wojuikea and only managed to get a foothold due to the dwindling numbers of Moosegeese and lack of large predators. They only survive in large sizes, the Shaikei people I've talked to were surprised to hear the camels from Earth are, on average, about the size of horses.

Sharing a habitat and, for the most part, niche with Moosegeese causes conflict, Emperor Camels and Moosegeese are prone to territorial disputes, especially between males of both species. Emperor Camels have pronounced canines, used in both interspecies and intraspecies combat. I've watched an Emperor Camel single handedly kill a troop of four Sphinx. Emperor Camels are extremely fiesty animals, using a combination of their strong jaws and blunt hooves to kill any perceived threats. Males enter a state similar to elephant musth during mating season, making them even worse.

Emperor Camels will interact only during mating season, and will mate with the first individual they come in contact with, this seems to be due to their scarcity and their inability to maintain a dulaa in the cold, which I am thankful for, seeing a giant camel's dulaa sounds terrible.

Emperor Camels live for about 60 years, and take around 17 to mature. They gestate for just over a year and calves are born covered in fluffy white fur to keep them camouflaged and warm in the early years of their life when they are most vulnerable. As they grow Emperor Camels shed this fur and grow less dense brown fur, their large size making up for the loss of fur density.

The people of Wojuikea consider Emperor Camels one of the most dangerous animals on the continent and avoid them at all costs, predators like Black Dashers and Sphinx will eat you, yes, but an Emperor Camel will turn you into a ragdoll for simply being near it." Vincent Allen, former Earth zoologist, and Shaikei Naturalist

[vinesoy]

HIIII

More creatur:)

"Ayihl (Ah-Ye-Elle) or more commonly Wojuikean Moosegeese, are large Saurolophine Hadrosaurs which are, of course, Wojuikean.

Ayihl ganders live in solitude for most of their life, only ever willingly coming in contact with other Ayihl during the mating season. Ayihl dames live in large groups of on average 20 individuals and their calves.

Ayihl eat just about any plant material they can find but seem to favour pine trees in the sparse forests they inhabit, this helps them avoid competition with Xerqyi and Royal Camels.

During mating season dames will call out loudly to attract ganders, due to the large amounts of dames, ganders rarely need to fight to prove their worth but when they do it is violent, the only fight between two Ayihl ganders I've seen ended in death on one side and possible maiming on the other. Ayihl are heavy animals, have blunt hooves, strong jaws, surprisingly dangerous crests, and sharp keratinous scales on their necks that I've seen used to scrape at opponents as they jab them with their crest. Sheitreu Sphinx know better than to try to hunt an Ayihl gander and most troops steer far clear of herds of dames, even if their calves are seemingly easy pickings.

Ayihl live, on average, 30 years and take about 10 to mature, the first five years of life are dangerous for calves, still being small enough to be hunted by Sphinx and Quad-winged Cockatrice, especially by the baby snatching Black Dashers, means calves need to stay close to their mother and aunts, at about 8 years of age, calves are sent out into the world on their own, all the young dames leaving together and all the young ganders leaving on their separate ways, it is at this age where ganders learn to be aggressive and dangerous, or fall prey to the many predators of Wojuikea. The age range of 5 to 10 years is the most likely time an Ayihl is to die." Fele Alrei, a Shaikei Naturalist who specializes in Wojuikea and Tonjuikea