WORK IN PROGRESS!!
**(He doesn't have a mask design yet because I can't decide on one. I am open to suggestions though.)
Tori's Characters wrote:Name: Skylus
Sex: "He" has none, but like most ungendered things Skylus is referred to as a "he".
Biome Information: Skylus lives in the Arizona desert among the sandstone caves. His pelt helps him blend into the tan landscape around him. He has adapted to life in the desert. His fur is much like a coyote's, long and thin. It strategically grows along his neck in a giant fluffy mane to protect his delicate neck from attacks. His long legs help him dash across the desert sand and his paws, although small, can spread real wide to keep him from sinking into the sand.
Biological Information:
₪ But Tori, how in the world does that thing see!?:
Well I am glad you asked, self! You see his "mask" is just a exoskeleton to provide extra protection to his delicate skull and to his multiple thermoreceptors! They work very closely to the Loreal pit in pit vipers. He uses his infrared "vision" and the smell receptors he has in his skull. His "mask" is also made up of a special keratin substance. Keratin being what the scales of a snake are made up of, or your own fingernails and toenails! Now Skylus' keratin is much like the exoskeleton of a common beetle. It is used for protection, but it is more aerated than a beetle skeleton. You see the air around him has to hit the thermoreceptor or it won't work. So as a result, his "mask" has these pores all in it and he can control the diameter of these pores to an extent. Such as if it was scorching summer's day he wouldn't need them open very far, but if it was a cold winter night he would need them open quite a bit. They are still small enough that you can't see them easily, but they do prove quite effective! He can also see quite well with his thermoreceptors.
₪ Good grief! Why is his mouth blue!?:
Skylus sports his blue tongue as a way to warn any possible predators that he is poisonous to eat, but it can also be used to lure unsuspecting prey in the damp desert caves he lives in. The bright flash of blue draws many small birds, rodents and even the occasional coyote to their deaths. Some believe the blue is because many animals can only see some select colors and the most frequent is blue. Also, his front-most top teeth are much like a venomous snake's. They are flexible and house a very dangerous neurotoxin. The neurotoxin causes so much pain in the prey that Skylus can eat peacefully.₪ Golly! How big is this guy?!:
Well he is about the side of your normal coyote, but don't let his small size fool you. He is quite powerful and quite a deadly predator. Another reason he uses neurotoxins, his size could make it difficult to take down some prey. So he subdues them instead of having to fight them. His small size and stature also make it easy to chase his preys in his sandstone cave home. It allows him to squeeze into small crevices and such.
