Mukaali - Biology: The Mukaali (sometimes locally referred to as "Sand Pacers"), live in huge herds. Mukaali are supremely adapted to these desert environs. The species originates from far away on the world of Goru-Prime, where vast herds roamed the great scorched wastelands covering the equatorial regions. In these arid regions the beasts thrive like no other, able to live for long stretches without either food or water.Their skin is exceptionally dense and acts both as an insulator from external heat and a barrier to prevent interior moisture from escaping. The hide protects powerful muscles, designed more for duration than sprinting but still capable of reaching good speeds over short distances. Unlike other creatures that metabolise stored fats to provide energy, the Mukaali's metabolism is acutely efficient, and can extract nourishment to an extraordinary degree.They are grazers, living on a traditionally thin diet of tough shrubs and other sparse desert vegetation, which they chew and regurgitate through multiple stomachs and digestive organs, some beginning in their bulky necks. Each organ extracts more and more moisture and nutrients, allowing the creature to sustain itself far longer on far less than would be expected for its size. One of the major dangers in caring for the creature is overfeeding, for their digestion can be easily overwhelmed with unpleasant results.A Mukaali can survive for long periods on very small amounts of food and water, easily outlasting a human or even the sturdiest pack animal. Conversely, they have very poor protection against cold climates and die quickly when exposed to sub-zero temperatures for any length of time. The hide protects powerful muscles, designed more for long-duration movement than sprinting but still capable of reaching a good speed over short distances.A Mukaali's main advantage over a Terran horse is its exceptional endurance and load-bearing capability. In the driest of hot desert conditions they can keep going for solar days, even without food or water, and will long outlive a horse or even their human rider. A Mukaali-mounted Rough Rider squadron can range further afield and carry more equipment than a horse-mounted squadron.A Mukaali's feet are adapted to move over sand at speed. Large, soft pads similar to those of a Terran camel help spread their weight to prevent their sinking into soft sand. Their thick hides generally have a mottled grey/blue colouring, running to a pink/brown underbelly.Standing easily over two metres tall at the shoulders, Mukaali are hairless, quasi-reptilian beasts. Their tough, thick hide hangs in great folds, and is strong enough to not only provide protection from predators, but also offer a limited defence against weapons. Their sloped backs and long necks leave a perfect spot for a rider atop the Mukaali's shoulders, and while their gait is somewhat odd in appearance, their long legs allow them to travel at considerable speed.More important to the sorts of operations for which the Tallarn Desert Raiders prefer the creatures, Mukaali can sustain their pace for long periods of time, even longer than horses. Mukaali have relatively small heads, barely broader than their thick necks, which are almost completely flat and featureless.From a distance, it is difficult to even identify the small, deep-set eyes and nostril holes. Due to their size and gait, Mukaali require a completely different approach to handling than the horses more commonly used by Rough Riders. Those riders willing to learn are rewarded with a dependable and durable beast of burden, capable of handling much heavier loads than other comparable mounts -- a creature perfectly suited to long-term operations behind enemy lines.