Freethinker Wildlife

Introduction

The vast continent that forms the Freethinker Mainland have remained isolated from the rest of the planet for hundreds of millions of years, inspiring new courses of evolution in the large but unforgiving land. Huge carnivores reign alongside smaller scavengers and pack hunters, their prey often just as dangerous in defence, and every species that thrives today in the harsh Outback can boast impressive survival traits. Freethinker megafauna is world famous, and forms a significant part of the iconic view (and attraction) of the Commonwealth.

Not included in this article are the sentient Freestian Vampires, despite being members of the Draconi family of reptiles.

Reptiles

Order Basiliska

Giant Basilisk

Order Draconi

Bitefoot Lizard

Freestian Greyfoot Dragon

Freestian Sand Dragon

The Freestian Sand Dragon is the apex predator of the vast myriad of life in the great Freethinker deserts. One of, if not the greatest predator to have ever existed on Earth, these massive animals roam a habitat across the various desert plains and the foothills of the mountain ranges that border them, and can be found in significant populations in most environments apart from the great Eastern forests. It's sleek form and its powerful image have made it a distinctive icon of the great deserts it occupies and the Commonwealth itself.

The most famous members of the Draconi family, these huge animals (both male and female) can grow up to a length of 120 feet (38 metres, including a long tail which can account for up to half of its length) and reach a wingspan approaching 150 feet (47 metres) or more. They stand up to twenty-two feet (6.5 metres) tall at the shoulder and weigh in at up to thirty metric tons (65,000 pounds).

All Sand Dragons live an almost solitary existence after nursing, with females taking up a fixed range with the size depending upon the local avaliability of food and water. These ranges can incorporate thousands of square miles of territory but given the vast open ranges of the Freethinker Mainland there is little direct conflict with human encroachment. More major concerns for adult Sand Dragons are other predator species competing for avaliable food sources in the harsh desert, although often the result is that Sand Dragons will simply turn these opponents into new food sources for themselves.

Unlike most other members of the genus they are solely predatory carnivores, hunting alone and feeding mostly on the larger prey species in the deserts and shrubland. The most popular prey seems to be the larger herbivores of the Draconi family, Greyfoot Dragons, with wild Mustangs and Taur making up the bulk of the rest of their natural diet. Megaprimates are occasionally hunted but doing so involves risks of injury, with most encounters being territorial confrontations rather than actual predetation.

Sand Dragons have no natural predators, but their young are vulnurable to other desert predators whilst in the early stages of development. Basilisks are generally avoided, and are considered a match for a juvenile Sand Dragon in some circumstances. Human poaching is non-existant, and Sand Dragons have proven themselves more then capable of defending themselves even against well-equipped hunters. Hunting of the Sand Dragon is technically illegal unless the Department of Natural Affairs issues a special license for a particularly troublesome or violent individual. Despite the relatively low headcount (around ten thousand adult specimens currently in the wild), the actual population has remained relatively steady throughout the periods records have been kept.

Freestian Wyvern

See Main Article: Freestian Wyverns

Sandwyrm

The smallest member of the Draconi family, Sandwyrms are short, omnivorous reptiles that inhabit almost all of the Mainland aside from the higher mountain peaks, even encroaching into domestic settlements in a similar manner to urban foxes in other cities around the world. They are easily dwarfed by their larger brethren standing barely a foot (30 cm) at the shoulder and reach lengths of around four to five feet (120-150 cm) and a mass of around thirty to forty pounds (14-18 kg). They are mainly scavengers, although they are also oppurtunistic predators and have been known to attack domestic sheep and fowl along with family pets.

Others

Whitestone Crocodile

A huge breed of freshwater crocodile, generally considered to be the largest breed of this genus outside the Klatch. The last living descendants of a once large family of Freestian reptiles, these huge crocodiles are in fact an endangered species and there is a large and significant attempt by the Parks and Wildlife Service to conserve both these predators and their natural habitats.

Birds

Carrassian Vulture

Mammals

Order Megaprimatus

Megaprimates are giant ape-like creatures indigenous to the Freethinker Commonwealth. They are among the largest of mammal species on the Mainland continent.

Forest Megaprimate

Desert Megaprimate

A taller, somewhat skinnier relative of the Forest Megaprimate, the Desert Megaprimate lives on the edges of the great deserts and is most commonly found in the lower foothills of the semi-arid shrublands that surround the various sand dunes.

Pygmy Megaprimate

Others

Fallow Monkey

The only true native monkey species, this relatively small breed of Howler Monkey is commonly found in the large forests of the North- and Southeast of the country. Much smaller than the great apes of the Megaprimatus family, the Fallow monkey is one of the least dangerous creatures indigenous to the continent

Freestian Mustang

A breed of short, tough, naturalised (feral) horses that inhabit the desert and semi-arid plains across most of the South and West of the Mainland. Similar to counterparts in other rural-dominated states, the Mustang is descended from released or escaped domestic horses of the first Midlonian settlers. Adapted to life in the desert, they are generally taller, leaner and faster than their tamed cousins are they are popular with foreign horse breeders for their excellent endurance and speed. Because they have been pretty much replaced as a working mount by local Wyverns, there is little pressure from poaching humans, and they are hunted only as a food source and for foreign buyers.

In the Outback, the Mustang relies on its speed to outrun and outmanoeuver the domestic predators, and their relatively small size and agility allows them access to food sources in the rocky semi-arid borders of the various deserts. They nonetheless remain one of the major prey species for many carnivores, and their increase in numbers has allowed a subsequent rise in the populations of larger predators.

Taur

Insects

Dragon Ant

Sandhunter Scorpion

Sewer Worm

One of the more disgusting species native to the country, sewer worms get their name from their most common habitat, the sewer systems of various Freethinker cities. They are related to the parasitic tapeworm genus and originated in stagnant jungle pools in the De Ruyter rainforest.