Chiiponi

## **Basic information:**

***Pronunciation:*** Chee-pon-ee

***Common name:*** Placatus Intende

***Date of discovery***: 8/23/2016

***Gender:*** Alpha, male/female???

***Temperament:*** Ambulatory

***Diet:*** Absorbed Nutrients

***Height:*** 1.3 m (4.27 ft)

***Weight:*** 72.3 kg

***Conservation Status:*** Endangered

***Native Planet***: **Aurdovi**

## ***Physical Appearance:***

Chiiponi have webbed feet, cat-like eyes, a beaked mouth, donkey-like ears, a chubby round body, a shell on their stomach and back like that of a Turtle from Earth and its signature wing-resembling arms.

This creature appears to be closely related to the **Dromaeusephryx****.** It is flightless, however, with a row of orange feathers on its arms. They walk and run as a bipedal, unlike all other animals of Aurdovi. They look like they could be an ancestor of the Gek, much like how primates are ancestors of humans, but this is highly debated.

Their physical appearence, behavior and habitat makes them similar to penguins in many respects.

## ***Habitat:***

Their habitat is the frozen hills of Aurdovi.

## ***Behavior:***

Chiiponi are by far the most intelligent animal on Aurdovi. During a brain dissection, it was found that they have about the same intelligence as Austrolopithecus, our earliest hominoid ancestor. They are so intelligent that they have the closest thing to a 'language' documented in any animal thus seen on the expedition. One of these creatures appeared to try to 'talk' to Captain Seri when they first met.

Chiiponi have the ability to herd groups of herbivores such as **Orakmuta**. They have developed a symbiotic relationship with other small herbivores, where they will protect them from predators like the **Galus Widower** and **Gnakik**i. However, every deal has a price. In exchange for protection, every so often, these creatures will supplement their diet of plants and iridium with one of the animals in their 'flock'.

There is a strict pecking order. The alpha is in charge, and everyone else in the group is subordinate. Males have a higher status than females. Babies have the lowest status and are often bullied by older members of the group.

Males are kicked out of the group when they are almost sexually mature. They strike out to steal a female from another group. During courtship, the male shows his bright orange feathers. If he succeeds, he will run off with the female and create a new group.

## ***Reproduction:***

During courtship, the males attempt to woo a female he singled out from a group, spreading out his feathers on his arms and doing a series of hops and spins. If the female is interested, she may mimic his actions. If not, she will likely squawk at him and try to chase him off.

After a successful courtship, the female runs off with the male to find their own territory to set up their new group. These are one of the few creatures on Aurdovi that do not reproduce in caves, but in fact lay their eggs on the surface of Aurdovi in specialized nests made out of the fermenting log of a **Frostium Pinesefia** and the leaves and flowers of various other plants. This tends to make the nest rather difficult to spot for Xenobiologists.

A female lays around one or two eggs and the two parents take turns sitting over them, shielding them from the bitterly cold winds of Aurdovi with their wings. While this happens the other goes off to gather food for them and their mate and also to find small creatures such as the **Six-Legged Ground Pangolin** and Orakmuta to herd and protect for food.

When in charge a Chiiponi is the Alpha and is the only one allowed to mate with females in the group. If males wish to mate they must leave the group and find their own mates.

Chiiponi follow the Z - W system of reproduction, in which the female decides the gender of the offspring by either passing on a Z or W chromosome.

## ***Ecology:***

### ***Where in the Food Pyramid?***

Chiiponis are a jack of all trades, eating plants, meat, and minerals, meaning they're omnivorous. They are heterotrophs, and thus can't make their own food.

### ***Diet:***

These creatures eat plant matter, animal meat, and iridium.

### ***Predators:***

A lone animal can be preyed on by a Galus Widower or Gnakiki, but a group can defend themselves from one of these predators by throwing rocks.

## ***Mythology:***

It is sometimes foretold that these creatures acted as guardians for Marlaia when she was giving birth.

## ***Episodes:***

This creature is seen in the following episodes:

The Alien Nursery Guardian!! - Episode 10