Cristoceragnath ruptus

### Size

10 meters long / 4 meters tall from head crest to ground / 3,4 meters tall from hip to ground

### Canonicity

Canon

Cristoceragnath ruptus is a 10 m (~33 ft) long carnivorous organism that lives in subtropical forested floodplains where there are abundant resources to sustain such a large organism. This large organism belongs to a larger taxon of organisms called Arthoschizodont that descended from the Ambulospeculida which this group is known for its split lower jaws and full armored body. Despite C. ruptus' full armored body, it is capable of running 57 km/h (~35 mph) and up to top speed of 65 km/h (~40 mph) to catch potential prey with its long saber-like jaws.

The lower jaws of C. ruptus can open about 60° downwards and 60° wide; with strong powerful muscles in the lower jaw can crush most tough armor plating and bones of other species. For more crushing power, C. ruptus will use its two powerful forelegs to rip and tear apart its prey then lower its three proboscides with razor teeth to feed on soft tissue exposed from the prey's armor. To handle prey with lighter or no armor of any kind and more nimble and quicker, C. ruptus have to resort to ambush tactics to hunt or wait for an opportunity of scavenging the prey's body from unfortunate circumstances.

The three proboscides of C. ruptus retracted or extended can produce hisses and squeals produced by fluid secretion and exhalation of air inside the proboscis to warn any other organisms that come to exploit the dead prey. Other vocal sounds can be produced such as grunts, growls, and low-frequency vibrations through its 6 pairs of breathing spiracles align the lower neck of C. ruptus to communicate others C. ruptus. Communication is vital to C. ruptus to contact other C. ruptus of their presence for territorial or by sexual reproductive purposes.

Scent and pheromones can use to communicate as well which are secreted from the reproductive organ on the lower front of the hip, waste orifice on the lower back of the hip, and secreting orifices in the lower jaws. The scent and pheromones secreted can be detected by C. ruptus olfactory spiracles between the upper jaw and compound eyes. Another way to communicate between C. ruptus is its visually large crest on its head which determines an individual’s fitness and differentiate between species and subspecies. Interaction between individual C. ruptus are commonly solitary with an exception for mother C. ruptus with one or two offspring, and a gathering of two or three C. ruptus hunting and feeding on larger prey.

C. ruptus reproduce sexually with two sexes, male and female, in which males are usually smaller than females. When female eggs are fertilized, the mother C. ruptus will lay two eggs and buried them under sediments; incubation will last on average 90 days to hatch. When the eggs hatch, the mother will protect her offspring reach maturity at 9 years of age with a length of 7 m (23 ft). The young 9 year old C. ruptus will need another 16 to slowly reach its maximum size. At C. ruptus infancy, all eight limbs were portionally size from forelegs and hind legs; but four limbs, back forelegs and front hind legs will stop developing and growing as the young C. ruptus reach maturity. The two pairs of small limbs remaining on to mature C. ruptus will barely have any functional uses. Eventually, C. ruptus and other species under the genus will slowly evolve over the generations into four limbs than eight.