Yabun Forest

Posts Tagged ‘Yabun Forest’

Page One – A Social Dispute

February 7th, 2010 by admin | 2 Comments | Filed in Animals, Announcements, Yabun Forest

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Here is the first page to “A Social Dispute” – a sequential approach to Red Tailed Mardiks and their behavior. The comic will be six pages long and will be available in the store soon.

I’ll be adding a new species to the blog toward the end of February.

We are still working out the kinks on the new website and should be launching it in the coming weeks.

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The Black Mardik

January 4th, 2010 by admin | 7 Comments | Filed in Animals, Yabun Forest

Female Black Mardik

The black mardik is the second largest tree climber in Yabun forest as well as the second largest mardik. Males can weigh up to nine kilograms and females up to seven. They are black in color with faint spotting and bright yellow markings along the neck. Black mardiks are social and live in large troops of up to 40 members. The whole of the troop is made up of smaller family groups, each governed by a dominant male and female. Dominance is decided through intimidation and is mostly carried through bloodlines and offspring.

Female Black Mardik and Young

The Black Mardik is the most numerous species of mardik in Yabun Forest. Dominant females give birth to two cubs every year. While they make great mothers, the entire troop (males included) collectively looks after the young. This behavior produces a tight network of family bonds among the troop. Mothers and caregivers will carry offspring on their backs until they are old enough to follow on foot – a common mode of transport among mardiks. Black mardik troops tend to exist on lower canopy levels than the red tailed mardik and so the two species have less chance of competing for the same food sources and territories. Red tailed mardiks are known to be highly protective over their territory and so the two species tend to stay wary of each other. Red tailed mardiks have been noted to attack black mardik troops, however, this behavior is rare and will occur only if the groups’ food sources overlap.

Male Black Mardiks

While this particular species isn’t the largest of mardiks, it is the loudest. Black mardiks use sound to communicate with each other and their calls can be heard up to 3 km away. They use these calls to mark boundaries between rival groups and also as an alarm system to warn the troop of potential enemies.

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The Juka Tree Flower

December 30th, 2009 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Plants, Yabun Forest

Juka Tree Flower

The flowers of the Juka tree are large and have thick waxy pedals. They offer up energy-rich nectar to animals and insects in order to pass on their pollen to other Juka trees in the area. Some of the pollinators rely solely on this flower for their active metabolisms.

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The Spotted Bufodd

October 28th, 2009 by admin | 9 Comments | Filed in Animals, Yabun Forest

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Female Spotted Bufodd (Bottom View)

The Spotted Bufodd is a small, winged arthropod that inhabits the High Wood. Of the many species of Bufodd found here, this particular species has a unique role. This small creature shares a symbiotic relationship to the largest predator in the highwood, The Gigatus. Because the Gigatus moves so slowly in such a moist climate, algae and fungi grow and thrive all over its translucent body. The Spotted Bufodd cleans and grooms this overgrowth of the Gigatus keeping the encroaching plants and fungi at bay. If it isn’t cleared away regularly, the Gigatus becomes susceptible to infection from the rotting plant and fungi matter. Spotted Bufodd are herbivores and their small flat mouths are well adapted for scraping up vegetation and fungi. While this plant growth can be potentially dangerous to the Gigatus, it provides a steady and plentiful diet for the Spotted Bufodd.

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Male Spotted Bufodd

Spotted Bufodd rarely leave their chosen Gigatus, and will reproduce on the same host for generations, as their life span tends to be a mere four years. They attach their egg clusters to the Gigatus, usually near the underside of its body, using a sticky fluid that comes from the reproductive organs of the female. Females lay up to twenty eggs at a time. Most of the eggs will fall from the Gigatus before they hatch or be stolen by Mardiks and other canopy scavengers. Male and female Spotted Bufodd are usually the same size and weight so there is little difference between the sexes. Males will attach themselves to females for up to a fill day, depositing sperm into her epigyne or genital opening. Once the sperm has been deposited, the female will hold onto the sperm for months afterward. This increases the chance of having offspring if males are not present on the host.

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The Gigatus

October 28th, 2009 by admin | 6 Comments | Filed in Animals, Yabun Forest

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Gigatus (Gender Unknown)

The Gigatus are the largest animals living in Yabun Forest. They grow to a staggering 6.7 m in height and weigh about 7 tons. These animals are arthropods, characterized by their segmented exoskeleton and jointed limbs and they have been documented to live for 80 years or more. The breeding habits of the giant are unknown but it is believed that they are hermaphrodites and are opportunistic breeders as they meet one another rarely.

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Gigatus Mouthparts

Gigatus move so slowly that it takes them years to cover only 10 miles of forest. They stand and wait, ever looking down at the ground, waiting for something to cross their path. Gigatus possess a pair of compound eyes that are sensitive to movement and can see in a clear 360˚ view. They wait for prey to enter into their reach and swiftly drop their long tentacles down to sting the victim. The Gigatus’ tentacles hold a vast array of poisonous barbs that will become lodged in the prey and inject a series of two toxins. First, a neurotoxin to paralyze the victim instantly, then a hemotoxin to help break down the tissue. Death is quick for prey, as all respiratory systems shut down almost instantly. The Gigatus is in no hurry to pick up its catch. Some will wait a full three days until it finally lowers its body down to pick up the rotting carcass with its smaller arms. By this time the prey is soft and almost entirely digested, and only its skin seems to hold it together. After slurping up the prey through its mouth, the Gigatus drops what’s left of its meal onto the forest floor and waits again.

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The Sabulo

October 22nd, 2009 by admin | 2 Comments | Filed in Animals, Yabun Forest

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Male Sabulo

The Sabulo is a large amphibious fish that mainly inhabits waters near the mouth of Yabun pass just below of the High Wood. They are found throughout the entire river however, and can become larger down south. This fish is the largest inhabitant in the Morae River itself, with both males and females weighing up to 90 kilograms and growing up to three meters in length. They are carnivorous fish, eating a wide range of prey, which they hunt by ambush through the reeds and grasses in and out of the water. Sabulos swallow their prey whole by positioning it to travel down the throat easily. They possess some of the strongest stomach acid of any creature in the Morae River, digesting everything they consume, including bone.

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Female Sabulo

The Sabulo reproduces by laying eggs at the bottom of the river. The female will move her body in and out of grasses, tree roots and branches as she begins to release her egg sacks. These sacks are all connected by a membrane and rely on this entanglement to keep them anchored through the strong river currents.  When they hatch the young Sabulos aren’t completely developed and possess primitive gills, which they use to breath underwater. They grow quickly and will develop into young adults five months after hatching. Once fully developed, the Sabulo can breath out of water though its skin and the lining of its mouth. They spend most of their day basking in the sun and fighting over riverbed territory.

Sabulos have good eyesight but an even better sensory system that lines their body. They can detect slight variances in water pressure and temperature, which helps them locate prey. Once they have located their prey they sit motionless, patiently waiting for it to swim by. Sabulos are very fast and can move quickly even on land.  They are known to be incredibly aggressive which can be very dangerous considering they possess some of the largest teeth in the river.

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The Greater Fugamus

October 18th, 2009 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Animals, Yabun Forest

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Female Greater Fugamus

The Greater Fugamus is a large bipedal rodent that populates a vast majority of Yabun Forest. Females live in small herds of about eight while males are solitary. Both sexes posses a pair of enlarged top canine teeth, although the males have the larger. Males will compare tusks and lift their upper lip as they spit, kick, and grunt at each other during mating season as they compete for territories. Male Greater Fugamus fight to hold onto these territories in hopes that a herd of females will settle in and mate. They can be very aggressive toward each other and have been known to severely wound one another in battles for mates.

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Male Greater Fugamus

Greater Fugamus eat a variety of plant matter including berries, fruits, tree bark, grasses, seeds, and leaves. They use their four fingered paws to carefully select the food they want to consume and spend most of the day grazing around the forest. It is estimated that a population of about 200,000 Greater Fugamus inhabit this forestbut the exact numbers are unknown. They have poor eyesight but an incredible sense of hearing and smell. Theyare swift and can run at about 30 miles an hour, even through the dense undergrowth. Their long whiskers aid in navigating through the brush as they bound and charge through Yabun Forest.

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Male Greater Fugamus

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The Miku

October 12th, 2009 by admin | 4 Comments | Filed in Plants, Yabun Forest
Miku plant and Detail of Bulbous Tip

Miku plant and Detail of Bulbous Tip

Miku

(Missum Dapsilis)

This small epiphyte is the most adaptable plant species in Yabun Forest. Miku can grow on virtually any surface, as they do not need a root system to absorb water and nutrients. Instead, the “roots” are used as an anchor, quickly growing and attaching the plant to the area. The Miku has a unique ability to absorb nutrients and water directly through it’s surface, thus making it ideal for such a moist forest. It is aided by the tiny hairs on its exterior to trap moisture. They need little sunlight and are able to grow in some of the darkest places in Yabun Forest. It’s small bulbous tip releases thousands of tiny spores into the air, making this plant an abundant breeder. Mikus can be toxic to some animals and have been known to smother other plants by growing in vast colonies.

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Yabun Forest

October 1st, 2009 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Environments, Yabun Forest
Yabun Forest - A Herd of Female Greater Fugamus Grazing Silently

Yabun Forest - A Herd of Female Greater Fugamus Grazing Silently

Solturna’s Garden Paradise

Yabun Forest (commonly known and The High Wood) is a montane moist forest that is situated west of the Balandic Mountains. It holds 75 percent of Solturna’s flora species and is the second largest forest on the continent of Orcura. This forest is special because for a small portion of the year it floods and transforms into a wooded lake. The Morae is overwhelmed in late winter and will swell three times its normal size near the heart of Yabun Forest. While this change is very temporary, the plant life in particular has adapted interesting ways to protect themselves from rotting in the waters. Trees in the area grow a viscous coating on their trunks making it almost impossible for water to cause damage during the flood months. The wildlife of the area is accustomed to the change and tend to migrate or ride out the floods.

Yabun Forest is a “cloud forest” in that most of the time the forest is blanketed with a thick fog. The canopy is almost always shrouded in fog and so visibility can be low.  The trees in this forest grow quickly but stay short due to the lack of sunlight. Because of the constant presence of so much moisture, there is almost constant rainfall or fog drip, where fog condenses on tree leaves and drips down to the ground.

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