Teraminos || Albainsidiis (V2)

Instructions

=== Albainsidiis === In the muddy banks of the Flesh Forest lies a ferocious predator known for its distinctive red-orange striped coloration: the crocodile-like Albainsidiis. Its name (derived from the Latin words 'Alba' and 'Insidae') roughly translates into 'Striped Ambush', a perfectly fitting name for the apex predator of the Forest's ecosystem, as it is a nod to two things: the striped patterning of the creature and its method of hunting prey. === Description === A typical male Albainsidiis can grow up to 15 metres in length and weigh up to a massive 13 tons. The female, on the other hand, is slightly smaller than the male, mostly growing up to 13 metres and weight 10 tons. As part of its name suggests, the Albainsidiis is most distinguishable by its red-orange striped coloration, with the males being notably more vibrantly coloured than the females. Most of the Albainsidiis' body (except for its tail) is somewhat dorsally compressed; it is somewhat wide but also quite low in terms of height. While the real cause for this extremely flat body is unknown, it is believed that it allows for the creature to better conceal itself in the mud and allows for it to ambush unsuspecting prey. The Albainsidiis' tail is extremely long and muscular, making up a third of the total body length of the creature. While this tail, along with its two measly arms, makes the creature rather slow and awkward on land, it allows for it to be an expert swimmer in the water, with the creature swishing its tail from side to side in a similar fashion to a crocodile to propel itself forward. Its skull overall displays convergent evolution with crocodiles, with a flat, elongated snout with massive thick, conical teeth. Its front teeth, in fact, make up over half of the skull's height, as evidenced by its hooked snout. All of its teeth are thick and conical, likely to withstand the massive pressure of its bite. Its snout is tipped with a bright-red structure, mimicking the plants of the Flesh Forest and is used to attract herbivorous prey. The Albainsidiis, like most creatures on Teraminos, is a hexapodal creature, meaning that it has and walks on 6 limbs. However, strangely enough, only its final pair of limbs appears to be well developed, taking the form of massive, powerful arms that the creature uses to launch itself at prey. The other four limbs take the form of flippers similar to that of sea lions. Despite this, they're not completely useless and are used to anchor itself in the mud as it grabs its prey, as well as for land locomotion (albeit clumsily). === Behaviour === The Albainsidiis mostly lives a sedentary life in the swamps of the Flesh Forest, often seen resting in water or hauling itself onto land to bask in the sun. Whenever it decides to rest on land, it often allows for other, smaller creatures such as zaflaxes to feast on parasites or food that is stuck in its teeth. Both the male and female are mostly solitary and only come together to breed or eat. They are highly territorial and will not tolerate the presence of another Albainsidiis within their territory unless it is the mating season. They often mark their territory by leaving bite marks on certain objects such as trees and rocks. Often, the Albainsidiis will cover itself in mud to cool itself down during the hottest parts of the day. Alternatively, it may also do this to serve as a form of camouflage to avoid being detected by prey. === Feeding === The Albainsidiis is the undisputed apex predator of the Flesh Forest, preying upon almost any animal that is lower down on the food chain. Because of its awkward and slow movement on land, it prefers to ambush its prey near bodies of water. When hunting, the creature will bury itself in the mud using its powerful flippers and strong arms to the point that only its eyes and the tip of its snout is visible. Alternatively, it may also hide in deep bodies of water similarly to a crocodile. When a prey item gets too close, the Albainsidiis will use its powerful limbs to suddenly lunge itself forward at an incredible speed and then clamp its jaws down on the prey by its neck with a bite force of around 5000 PSI. The creature may also drag its victims underwater to drown them should they somehow survive the initial impact. (Continued in Notes and Credits)