Undalkest

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The Undalkest is a massive bipedal, terrestrial amphibian which can be found in Faldest and southern Slaazmadal. They are known for their unbelievably strong pharyngeal jaw strength. It was only recently discovered that their jaw strength did not originate from powerful muscles — in fact their muscles contribute to less than half of the force behind their jaws — but a sort of biomechanical "lever" mechanism in their skull. Their pharyngeal bite force is so strong that it can crack the shells of Ghahathi — their primary prey. Like other members of their clade, their skulls are incredibly complex and more resemble those of their piscine ancestors than those of other land-beasts. An Undalkest's skin is whitish in color and must be kept moist, as it will become dry and cracked otherwise. In order to combat this, Undalkest secrete a water-absorbing mucus which can keep them moist for extended periods. Many Undalkest bear scars on their skin from their Ghahathi prey fighting back with their beaks and tentacle hooks.

Undalkest are mostly solitary outside of spawning season but do not typically show aggression to other members of their species, as they prefer to simply ignore each other. During spawning season, they are known to form small congregations, mates are chosen based on the size of their horn-like nasal crest, the larger it is, the healthier the individual. Eggs are deposited in lakes and large ponds, the male fertilizes them after they are laid. Male and female Undalkest cannot be distinguished from one another unless an autopsy is performed on a deceased individual, or if one is able to observe one depositing or fertilizing eggs. Undalkest pairs will stay together until their offspring become terrestrial, they will then go their separate ways. Newly-hatched Undalkest are fully aquatic and bear external gills, feeding on small invertebrates, once they reach their terrestrial stage they prey upon slightly larger invertebrates and small vertebrates, and once they reach subadult size, they will feed almost exclusively upon the Ghahathi.

Art

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Notes

The Undalkest was inspired by temnospondyls and carnosaur dinosaurs, its jaw mechanisms specifically were inspired by the black drum (Pogonias cromis).