Celerocolidas

Celerocolidias veleroviditia

## **Celerocolidas Veleroviditia**

**Species Name: Celerocolidia (Rapid Collision)**

**Common Name: Sand Dasher**

**Avrage** **Size: 1,5-2,5 m in height.**

**Diet: Herbivore**

**Habitat: Large Rocky Flats**

**Ancestor: Celernantida**

## Physiology

The large Celerocolidia are one of the last in the Veleroviditia tree which originally developed from Celernantida. The lineage Veleroviditia developed from Tetrarmidae around 40 million years ago, Tetrarmians being descendants of Celernantida with four charapace plates on their backs. Early proto-veleroviditia had small caraphace structures on their two side-proboscis enabling them to slice through the plates of other Dispeculates. The characteristics of true Velerovitiae are the two large spikes on either fore-limb enabling locomotion, air-sacks on the back of the side proboscis enabling a back and fourth motion of a piece of carapace and the scent glands on the backs of the creatures.

### Side-Facing eyes

Aside from the pair of faceted eyes on the side of the head of the Celerocolidas they also have two eyes mounted on either side proboscis. These are an evolutionary remnant when carnivorous Veleroviditiae needed exact precision in their strikes.

### Three pairs of excess limbs

The Celerocolidas also have six limbs protruding from the back of its body. While once used for locomotion they are now mainly used for standing up or laying down.

### Air-Sacks

The two air-sacks on either side of the creature are directly connected to its powerful lungs which can inflate and deflate the sacks rapidly and create a jackhammer-like motion of the cylindrical piece of carapace on the fronts of the proboscis. This motion have been utilized in several ways by the lineage but most notably as a sawing motion in earlier carnivore species.

### Locomotion

The long carapace claws on the front limbs of the Celerocolidas are quite differently structured tha the rest of its armor. They are made of long fibers which give it great elasticity. This enables the creature to jump quite a distance but also sprint at great velocities.

## Behavior and Ecology

The Celerocolidae are some of the fastest sprinters on Wallace II and can reach speeds up to 70-80 kmh when chased. However while at their top speed they are also prone to slipping and falling (something quite deadly at those speeds) and cannot turn quickly. Their main defense is spotting predators from afar enabled by their high vantage and sprinting of before confrontation, however when cornered they can use their modified proboscis to deliver punches strong enough to shatter most armors.

The rather large body of a Celerocolida is used to store large amounts of liquid to survive the harsh desert and up to 40% of their weight can be water.

### Feeding

Although most Velerovitita have been carnivores, mostly feeding on other Dispeculates the only living Velerovitiae are the herbivorous Celerocolidas. Inhabiting the dry rocky desert of northern Media Insula they feed on the hard-shelled bone trees in the area using their name-sake proboscis to crack open the hard outer shell and accessing the juicier water-storing insides which they extrapolate with their third retractable probisci.

### Sociology

The Celerocolida are very much solitary creatures only ever interacting with others at mating times. They mark territory with a mucus extracted from their rear scent-gland. If two Celerocolidas ever encounter one another a fight using their proboscis weapons ensues, often with lethal outcome. The only exception to this are during mating season, which happens during late autumn when they simply use their display structures to compete.

### Mating

During mating, large numbers of Celerocolidae gather and preform displays using their feather-like structures on the back of their bodies. Both the visuals and scent of the structures are equally important. Both male and female Celerocolidae preform this ritual and are drawn to the most impressive partners. After the mating is complete the female lays one large egg which is tended to by both parents as they alternate in shifts of feeding and protecting the egg. Once the egg is hatched, around 100 days after it was laid the hatchling is imprinted on whichever parent happened to be stationed at egg duty at the time and follows it until next mating when it is chased of. It takes about another 8 years to be fully mature.

## Misconceptions

### Backwards Legs

Early research on the animal was made from remains found after a predator had gotten to it. Due to this researchers reconstructed the legs of the creature wrongly. They put the back claws jutting out backwards instead of forwards. This lead to some strange speculations as to the creatures locomotion.

### Extinct Relative

Researchers long thought the Celerocolidas was the last of the Velerovitidita, however recently excursions into the deep jungles of Media Insula has unearthed a small relative, the Absconditculdae.

### Misclassification

This species was previously, wrongly categorized as an Ambulospeculida, however further study has shown a closer relation to Celernantida.