Taur

== Overview ==
Also known as the Three Staged Crustacean, named after its discoverer Eldristan “Deepseafarer” Manacletaur. The Taur are an exceptionally strange creature as their gender depends on its age. Indeed its juvenile form, the Guttaur has no reproductive capacities, then it will undergo metamorphosis to become Germtaur, the male form of the Taur, and can only mate with Grintaur, which is the female form of Taur and the final stage of Taur metamorphosis.
== Guttaur: ==
The Guttaur are the first phase in the development of Taurs Crustacean. Physically, the Guttaur resembles a ten legged armadillidium with a thorny shell and a visible head with large mandibles and sharp teeth. At its peak growth, just before metamorphosis, Guttaur grow to become 20cm long, and weigh up to 20 kg.
The Guttaur, while small and skittish sports a heavy shell. Being carnivorous, it hunts by spearing small prey with its barbed tongue. 
An ambush hunter, the Guttaur often burrows in the sand, and digs its way to its prey, and seem to move just as fast underground than on ground. The Guttaur are nearly impervious to small-arms fire, explosives and artillery are a must for an effective extermination. 
This penchant of being hard to kill is complemented with the fact that they are known to band together to hunt larger creatures, but with no greater tactical acumen than digging themselves in and waiting for the prey to be close enough to rush and impale the unfortunate prey.
Once they have sufficiently fed, a Guttaur will undergo metamorphosis to become its adolescent male form, the Germtaur.
== Germtaur: ==
Germtaur are the testosterone overloaded second phase of Taur metamorphosis. Nearly four times larger than Guttaur. After metamorphosis the Germtaur measures between 80 and 100 cm and can weigh well over 80kg, roughly the size of a large adult alligator snapping turtle. 
The Germtaur develops a heavier, more densely calcified exoskeleton, the metamorphosis also strips it of four of its original ten legs, leaving only six, which are visibly sturdier to carry the bulk of its shell.
The most noticeable aspect of the Germtaur is the specialized hunting weapon on its back, a uniquely adapted blowhole that does not serve as a respiratory device, but as a means of firing quills that they generate straight up and spear passing prey above them (but they can also fire these quills in a parabolic arc as the carapace war proved). 
Germtaur are not above cooperating in hunts with their same age, and even their younger counterparts, generally to hunt creatures that would require the Germtaur to wound or immobilize it with its quills while the Guttaur move in for the kill.
The Germtaur are the males of the Taur species, their role is to seek out mates, the older Grintaur. The Germtaur are relentless in their efforts. Some have been seen offering their own limbs to hungry females in exchange for the chance to mate. Essentially, the role of the Germtaur is to feed and mate as frequently as possible, and once he has sufficiently mated, his sexual organs subside, leaving the Germtaur incredibly hungry. The now sexless Germtaur will then feed until he has sufficient fat stores for his final metamorphosis to become a Grintaur.
== Grintaur: ==
The Grintaur are the females of the Taur species, and the final metamorphosis of Taur who have managed to live long enough. The Grintaur are massive creatures, with specimens ranging from 2 to 6 meters in length and can weigh up to a ton, roughly the size of male adult hippopotamus. 
The Grintaur rather than resembling armadillidium look more like four legged lobsters with four bladed arms. 
The Grintaur, contrary to the male Germtaur, lack a modified blowhole, and hunt using modified legs that have become elongated claws. Unlike its large size would suggest, it is fully capable of hiding itself in the sand and ambushing prey, but it generally prefers to charge into their prey and hack it to pieces with their gigantic claws. 
Like their younger counterparts, they are fully capable of cooperating with other Taur, even the reproduction obsessed Germtaur after having beaten them into submission. But they do not form societies, the Taur resuming their former solitary qualities when the hunt is over, sometimes eating each other to claim the greater share of the quarry.
The Grintaur, being the females of the Taur species mate with the Germtaur in order to birth the next generation of Guttaur. 
== Mating and reproduction ==
Mating is preceded by courtship dances, where the Grintaur “chooses” the Germtaur who will get to mate with her. These chosen few serve as the Grintaurs personal guard when they make the mass Taur migrations that take place. The migrations can last up to several months, where most of the Taur are eaten by predators or die from exhaustion (sometimes the Grintaur will replenish her personal guard with Germtaurs found during the migration). 
Upon arrival, the surviving Germtaur and Grintaur mate en masse. The Grintaur then depose the fertilized egg sacks in spawning grounds close to the shore. The Germtaur then take turns protecting the egg sacks while the Grintaur goes to the shore where they routinely raid seaside villages and local wildlife to feed themselves and (if they’re lucky) their loyal guards. 
After a month or so, the Germtaur abandon the eggs so the Grintaur can watch them until they hatch. The Grintaur will then ward her young until they hatch, and she will then wander the ocean floor, until it is time to migrate again.
Interestingly, mating sometimes happens outside of the mass migrations the Taur undertake to rejoin their spawning grounds, with no ill effect on the offspring, who undertake the journey as well.
== Biology ==
The most defining characteristic of the Taur is their three staged lifecycles, and their metamorphosis based sexuality.
The Taur are also incredibly heavy sleepers, being able to sleep through buzz saw noises.
Category:Fauna of Welt
Category:Biology of Welt