Yuriladolaeochampsa

Yuriladolaeochampsa are weighed around 2–2.5 kilograms (4.4–5.5 lb) and stood nearly 2.5 meters (8.2 ft) tall; therefore, it was among the largest herbivorous mammals of that time. They belonged to the family Phacopidae and evolved in the continent of Kavernis. They were big scavengers who specialized in eating the carcasses of large reptiles. 
== Appearance ==
Yuriladolaeochampsa were 8.2 feet tall, and had ears about as long as their head, uselessly slightly longer. They had a hog-like nose, which is one of the major physical features that provided the advantage for it to survive in this environment. It had large eyes, which could gather about four times as much light as the eyes of humans. That is very important for a predator to see objects it's going to be able to attack. It had large ears, which were very good at discriminating sounds. It had a long powerful jaw, which could crush bones very easily. It had sharp teeth, and it probably ate its food by ripping them, if it found anything that it could digest. It had a very large stomach and it probably ate a lot of flesh material. The gut of a large species of Yuriladolaeochampsa was very similar in structure to that of the rhinoceros. The body was very muscular, with thick bones and massive amounts of fat tissue. Yuriladolaeochampsa looked very much like the rabbits of today. They had thin faces and long pointed ears, and eyes that were slightly bent. They were rather furry. They had a tail, which had small tufts at the ends. Their Teeth were very powerful, like a rhinoceros. Their jaw muscles were very strong, and they probably had very sharp teeth which could have easily ripped thick flesh. They probably used their thick jaw muscles to crack apart bones.
== Coloration ==
The rabbit bore a distinctive, dark reddish-brown coat with a stripe of white running down its spine. This muddy dark coloring probably acted as camouflage. In this way, it resembled the ground it walked on, and camouflaged it from enemies and predators. However, Yuriladolaeochampsa was not completely dark; it had small patches of pale coloration on the underparts and some lighter spots on the face. Some pale hairs appeared on the throat, and a wispy hairline was present on the lips and chin.The dark color probably resulted from its diet, which consisted of vegetation that was decaying and rich in plant nutrients. Dark coloration is probably more common in cold-temperate animals. The fact that Yuriladolaeochampsa has a relatively darker coloration on the body than its relatives, is possibly due to its scarcity in warmer areas. The color of the tail was probably tan or white because pale hairs were seen growing in small tufts on the tail. Some males may have had a patch of pale coloration on the shoulders, but this feature was very rare. The rabbit's ears were colored a creamy-white color because the fur on its ears was probably largely pale. Their paws are colored light brown or a creamy white tan, but with dark splotches. The eyes are a pure rich brown and glowed a bluish-white in the dark, probably so they could scare away any nocturnal predators.
== Nutrition ==
Yuriladolaeochampsa were omnivore scavengers, and they ate anything they could. This included fruits, vegetables, seeds, insects, roots, leaves, rotting carcasses, small and medium-sized animals, rotting vegetation, dung, leftover food, grasses, flesh, keratin, crushed-up bones, and each-others carcasses. They did not have a distinct food preference. The rabbit is not unique in being a scavenger, but its specialization in eating various types of the flesh is noteworthy. Most mammals, including rabbits, are generalists, eating grasses, leaves, roots, fruits, and dung. Yuriladolaeochampsa eats all sorts of raw foods. It eats the small stuff that other animals do not. Yuriladolaeochampsa can digest tough plants better than other animals, and it can process decaying meat more efficiently.The large jaw muscles of Yuriladolaeochampsa were able to chew and break down flesh, food, and bone very quickly. In this way, it can find and process all the food around it in seconds. This fact probably meant that Yuriladolaeochampsa could live in much more variable environments, and was able to utilize it as best it could. This is probably the reason they became so widespread. They could eat all types of food, and live in very different environments. They also scavenged food, which was a very good system of obtaining food. In prehistoric times, meat, vegetables, and fruit were not abundant, because there were not many animals or plants. The constant supply of scraps or carcasses to scavengers allowed the ecosystem to recover faster than it would have otherwise.
== Behavior ==
Yuriladolaeochampsa is a very social animal. There is evidence that they gathered in groups. They would gather at watering holes and lakes, or in the sunniest areas where they could find shade. This shows that Yuriladolaeochampsa probably did not have packs, but instead would have gatherings. These gatherings would probably last weeks to months at a time. A single gathering would likely move from its original location over time due to the Yuriladolaeochampsa within the gathering moving together. This meant that most Yuriladolaeochampsa were very nomadic. When they were on the move, they were most likely attacking and eating prey. The mating process of Yuriladolaeochampsa was similar to other marsupials. Yuriladolaeochampsa was likely to have performed mating displays, where each male lined up and showed off to the females. The females would stand in front of the lined-up males and would choose a mate as the males showed off. These mating displays are called "contests" and happen every 2–3 months. Multiple contests happen every 2–3 months, and these are uselessly done day after day. Large amounts of contests done around the same time are called tournaments. This occurs during the mating season when the males are attempting to win the females. Some contests would last for hours, and were exhausting, especially in hot weather.
While in gatherings, Yuriladolaeochampsa would make burrows in the ground, often covering it with vegetation to hide it from other animals. The hole would be about 30 cm (12 in) deep, and about 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in diameter. Some of these burrows were deep enough that the animal could be lost for hours, while others were not deep enough to hide the Yuriladolaeochampsa completely. Once the gathering moved far enough the burrows of the Yuriladolaeochampsa would be abandoned, and the Yuriladolaeochampsa would build new ones. The old burrows would then become homes for new gatherings of Yuriladolaeochampsa.
== Origin ==
Selective breeding is the process of choosing certain traits in animals and plants over generations to produce a desired result. Humans have used this technique for thousands of years to create new breeds of animals with specific features. In the case of the Yuriladolaeochampsa, it is speculated that humans selectively bred small rabbits to produce a larger, more robust herbivore that could better survive in the environment of the continent of Kavernis. Over many generations, rabbits with larger size and more powerful jaws were selectively bred, resulting in the eventual evolution of the Yuriladolaeochampsa. This process required careful observation and selection by humans, and it is likely that they continued to breed the animals for desirable traits, such as efficient scavenging and social behavior.
Category:Kylorne