Vinik

Vinik were a species of turtle that lived in the waters of the Lether River and its outlet into the Ouster Sea. They were long-shelled and dorsal-ridged with strong forelimbs bearing taloned hands with opposable thumbs.They were long-shelled and dorsal-ridged with strong forelimbs bearing taloned hands with opposable thumbs. Mature males reached enormous size, weighing as much as a galley and capable of tearing one apart with beak and claws.They were long-shelled and dorsal-ridged with strong forelimbs bearing taloned hands with opposable thumbs. 
The smaller females largely dwelt in the pooled basins and high-ground bogs that formed the headwaters of the river amidst the coniferous forests at the base of the Bluerose Mountains.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 5, US HC p.117-118 During egg-laying season in late Spring, females appropriated the nests of waterfowl and excreted a slime upon the bird's eggs to delay their development. Once the turtle laid its own milky green eggs, it dislodged the next to be carried downstream. Juvenile male vinik assisted the nests' journey, freeing them of any snags they might become entrapped in. Nests faced a variety of obstacles, including hungry adult vinik, but the eggs were poisonous to gulls and other predators. Once they reached the sea, the eggs hatched and hatchlings devoured the bird embryos that accompanied them. After sixty or seventy years in the sea, vinik reached juvenile stage and spent years travelling back upriver to begin the cycle again.
Vinik nests were often spotted bobbing downriver, but were avoided by fisherfolk. Adult males were known to track the nests just below the surface and attack any who approached. The appearance of the turtles' floating nests marked the beginning of summer for those who lived along the river. 
With correct preparation, vinik eggs could be consumed by humans with lessened side effects.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 5, US HC p.121
==Notes and references==
Category:Animals