U'ruek

Disclaimer: The U'ruek is a fictional animal from Keenan Taylor's Tales of Kaimere.

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Earth Ancestor: Oviraptoridae sp.

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Dinosauria

Order: Maniraptora

Family: Oviraptoridae

Genus: Equigallus

Species: E. teralectruon

### Description

The U'Ruek is a large oviraptorid with a very ornate (and muppetlike) appearance. Adult males are around 1 ton in size and stand around 3 meters tall. They are generalist omnivores but diets can and have been adapted towards herbivory.

### Habitat

Pakardia. There are more aggressive populations in the lowlands due to predators such as Oritaku and Weochetu'ka but have far more passive populations in the highlands, where they don't have to worry about such threats.

### Phylogeny

The U'Ruek is an oviraptorid dinosaur descended from other oviraptorids from Kaishel, harvest date unknown.

### Ontogeny

U'Ruek are known for their loyalty and nobility, though this is only true of adults, as juvenile U'Ruek, dubbed 'Memo', are notorious problems. They harass other livestock, steal anything shiny, tear open and feast on crops, and see any closed door as a challenge. They have such a penchant for mischief that many see their entire childhood as a two-year-long exercise in daring parents and handlers to put them down. Once they become adolescents they begin to settle down as long as they are kept in line by the flock, and adults are much more calm. It is accepted Pakardiant wisdom that the most difficult memos grow into the most amicable and reliable adults. The process of maturation takes a total of 3 years.

### Sexual Dimorphism

Males generally have larger body sizes, more ornate crests and feathers, and large leg spurs used in intraspecific and interspecific combat.

### Human Relations

As adults, U'Ruek are loyal, formidable, and durable mounts and protectors of clan and livestock. If it is established as ‘flock’, the U’Ruek will defend. Wild members of this species in the lowlands are generally too aggressive to tame, but in the highlands, a lineage was domesticated and spread into the lowlands with the return of the Firebird Clan. As adults, u’ruek are calm and reliable mounts. Unfortunately, they must first survive their childhood. In this stage, young u’ruek are notorious problems. They harass other livestock, steal anything shiny, tear open and feast on crops, and see any closed door as a challenge. Chicks, or memos as they are called by highlanders, have such a penchant for mischief that many see their entire childhood as a two-year-long exercise in daring parents and handlers to put them down. Once they become adolescents they begin to settle down as long as they are kept in line by the flock, and adults are much more calm. It is accepted Pakardiant wisdom that the most difficult memos grow into the most amicable and reliable adults. Though cruelty is not tolerated, they are forgiven most transgressions and encouraged to play loud, wild, and free.

Utilizing these 1-ton dinosaurs as mounts played a large role in the early establishment of the Pakardiant Confederacy, and their victory in the Panther Wars. As horses mature faster, are more easily tamed, and don’t form bonds with a single rider, these recently introduced animals have already become the dominant Pakardiant mount. That said, the U’Ruek still holds an important role in Pakardiant life, and a band of u’ruekil riders always ready to protect the confederacy from threats both inland and overseas.

  Making up as many as 80% of the domesticate population, most common domesticated morph is a melanistic version of the wild coloration, as shown here. Even so, wild, white, red, gold, spotted, and even a steel blue morph have been found in the domesticates. Pakardiant tend to breed for temperament as a priority, not aesthetic, though birds of distinct coloration are often favored by nobles.

    Compared to wild morphs, color is usually the most obvious distinction, though a keen eye can often pick up other tells even if the domesticate has wild coloration. Domesticates tend to be a bit stockier, with proportionally shorter limbs, being the same height as a wild u'ruek even if they are of greater size. Their wing feathers tend to be a bit shorter as well even as their arms are stockier. Perhaps the most obvious difference is in the head crest: the shape of the top crest and brow horns will quickly malform within only a few generations of domestication. While the horns usually curl up, they must sometimes be cut if they curl down, a process that must be done extremely cautiously to avoid infection of the exposed bone. As the horns grow most after maturity, and adults are difficult to sedate and restrain, cocks with down-curled horns unfortunately must often be put down.

### Redesigns

The U'Ruek has had 1 redesign with the addition of a separate name given to juveniles named after Memo of the Spec Council.