Alien Name: Valkarthin
Planet of Origin: Malaerga
Ecosystem Component: Top Predator
Base Habitat: Oceanic habitats and the coastal shoreline, not found deeper than the abyssopelagic zone.
Grouping: Mostly solitary, with a few breeding pairs found occasionally.
Intelligence Level: The less intelligent among them are about equal to a smart human, with the more intellectually gifted Valkarthin often having an off-the-chart IQ, if one were to try and scale them that way.
Typical adult size: Ten feet two inches, nose to tail. Around half a ton for healthy individuals.
Appearance: Valkarthin are rather large creatures that closely resemble a spinosaurus at first glance. The things that sets it off that it isn't, however, is the large number of claws, unusually large teeth, as well as its long frill that goes down its back to the tip of the tail, with its bioluminescent patterns that vary from individual to individual, among other things. Those of the species that live deeper down tend to have the adaptations of many deep-sea creatures, such as large jaws and fangs, as well as the large eyes. Valkarthin have long tails with a sort of stinger attached to the bottom of the tip, with these stingers containing a paralyzing poison. The face is a lot like how one would imagine a spinosaurus--narrow with a long, tapered muzzle and plenty of sharp teeth. The teeth are a good two and a half inches long at average length, and there are approximately forty in each of its three rows of teeth. (
This one gets a pretty good handle on it.) Valkarthin also have another interesting adaptation--a second set of jaws. This second set is just past the opening of their throat, and they lunge forward to help take whatever prey the Valkarthin may have caught into its stomach. The second set has two rows of teeth, with the teeth being about an inch long. It's impossible to see them in any variety of Valkarthin other than the transparent ones which are few and far between. They tend to have either two or four eyes, depending on the specific species, and the pupils are thin and slit. They have gills covered by more bioluminescent-patterned fins, but their lungs can also take in air out of water as well. Valkarthin scales are fine and are in a tapered diamond shape, and can be rather like shark skin in the four-eyed variety. They have six sharply curved claws on each 'hand', four in the middle and two thumbs--one on each side. A Valkarthin's front arms are actually surprisingly strong, and they're about four feet long. The extra claws allow them to grip onto prey and surfaces more easily, as well as giving them more weapons to survive with.
Their hind legs are strong and powerful, with a ridge of spined fins on the back edge. These spines have a watered-down version of their stinger's poison, and are often used by the males of the species in battles for females and territory, among other things. Males have a sort of beard-frill, this being like their fins, but with the same sort of spines. This frill can be retracted at will, and is often used for intimidation, courtship, and other various purposes.
Valkarthin can have any coloration, just about--be it absolutely colorless and transparent to the most vivid colors you could imagine.
Lifespan/Reproduction: A Valkarthin lives the equivalent of 112 Terran years, which is only about 40 Malaergan years. It reproduces like any Terran animal, except the young are birthed in leathery casings, much like sharks. They are then deposited in rocky niches and crevices, and are guarded closely by the male and female until they are old enough to fend for themselves. The typical number of young birthed can be anywhere from one to five, with only about two young usually surviving to adulthood. A Valkarthin pair mates for life, and if the mate dies or is killed, either the other will not take another mate, or will commit suicide by either going down to where the pressure is too great, or by staying out of water for too long.
Territory: The average Valkarthin breeding pair needs at least four square miles to support both the mates and their young. A solitary Valkarthin takes up around an area of one and a half square miles.
Known Predators/Dangers: There's only one thing that can take down a fully-grown Valkarthin--a Selkhnien (SELL-kee-nen). These are massive whale-like creatures that live at the very bottom of the Malaergan ocean, and are about fifteen feet long with very compact bodies. They are few and far between, however, and rarely come up to the usual depth that Valkarthins inhabit.
There's also the risk of drying out--that is to say, if a Valkarthin stays on land for too long, it will dry up, become dehydrated, and swiftly die. A Valkarthin needs constant moisture to survive, and without it, they can only live for about twenty minutes.
Language: The Valkarthin have two forms of language--a sort of guttural spoken one that sounds like a series of roars and growls with some clicks thrown in to us, and a rough form of telepathy that can only send pictures and feelings. They can use the telepathy to communicate with any other creature, but it is very limited in what can be sent.
Tools?: They pretty much use their own body as a tool when needed. It's a smidge difficult to operate most things with those talons, you know.
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