Ammathere
Ammatheres are monstrous creatures almost completely covered in spines. They are ambush predators which prowl virtually any area of the Dunes they can feasably reach. Because of their rather soft scales, these predators rely on their spikes to protect their bodies, their only vulnerable point being their underbellies. They are also able to spew large clouds of sand to confuse their prey.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Ammatheres have wide flat bodies, long necks, flippered limbs, and short tails. Spikes cover their eyebrows, shoulder blades, frontal flippers, and the ends of their tails, often varying in size across the body. They have elongated snouts with rows of long dagger-like teeth, and their eyes are long and thin.
Genetics and Reproduction
The Ammatheres have a particular breeding season in which a large group of them gather together, and selection begins. These creatures will engage in brawls with each other, usually a pair that plans to mate with one another, biting their opponents on the head and neck in order to test their strength. After the Ammatheres have mated enough times, a pile of eggs will appear where the crowd once was, with only a few individuals left behind to guard them. These guards will protect the eggs without taking any breaks, coming close to starvation once they hatch.
Growth Rate & Stages
Once the Ammatheres hatch, they will have to survive their own protectors. The guards left behind from the breeding season will attempt to eat a few of the young, in order to feed themselves after almost starving to death. The young will have to escape them if they have any chance of survival, able to test their fitness from the guards' bloodbath. They start out relatively large, with underdeveloped spikes on their bodies. The young mainly rely on speed for survival, feeding off younger versions of their main prey items. As adults, their lives stay relatively the same, except for when they have to find their way towards a breeding site every once in a while.
Ecology and Habitats
These beasts can only be found in the dunes of the Nightlight Zone, and spend nearly all of their time above the seabed, searching for their next meal. Some have been found eating large amounts of sand from the ground, in order to store it for later, though they don't seem to be too worried about the sinkholes in the Dunes. Several piles of their broken spines, teeth, and eggshells can also be found where a breeding site once was.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Ammatheres are ambush predators, mostly feeding on Sand Crawlers and Sandback Turtles. They prefer to hunt prey alone, staying close to the ground to avoid the detection of the turtles, and straight above the Sand Crawlers. Once they see an opportunity, they dash towards their target, spraying a cloud of sand to disorient them, before making a killing blow to their head. Oftentimes, two Ammatheres will race other to make a kill if they happen to meet near the same target, usually accepting a loss in the competition.
Additional Information
Social Structure
While not particularly social creatures, the parents left over from the breeding season will work together somewhat to protect the next generation. They are merely indifferent of each other's presence, only willing to attack the young as they are much easier to feed on.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
The Ammathere's sight is extremely good, and it is what carries this beast all around the Dunes. Its smell and hearing are seemingly useless compared to its sight, in fact.
Scientific Name
Peloneustes spicea
Lifespan
Unknown
Average Weight
210 lbs.
Average Length
7 ft.
Average Physique
Lean
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Orange skin, brown spikes, glowing yellow eyes
Geographic Distribution
Fairly high
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