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DesOrages' Art; Art that has no relation to my projects
Topic Started: Dec 22 2014, 11:47 AM (462 Views)
Vorsa
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Mysterious tundra-dwelling humanoid
 *  *  *  *  *  *
Exactly as the title says:

Skull Island Reborn:

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Coastal Ratseal
(Aigialotherium mergulus)

Habitat: Coastal beaches
Length: 135cm
Height: 60cm
Weight: 20kg
Food: Crabs (and other crustaceans), small-medium sized fish, octopus, ammonites and pterosaur eggs/flaplings
Breeding: 3-8 offspring up to 4 times a year
Lifespan: Unknown
Status: Vulnerable

Aigialotherium mergulus is a multituberculate found on Skull Island's coastal beaches. It's otter-like body and strange face (best described as a rat imitating a seal) give it a very odd appearance and make it quite popular amongst researchers. It is a skilled diver and can hold its breath for about 10 minutes at a time. The teeth of this species are thick and can break open the shells of crabs with ease. Aquatic plants are occasionally eaten, but animal matter is the preferred meal. While having little organized social structure to their groups Aigialotherium are gregarious and playful. There is no clear sexual dimorphism. Females give birth to a litter of 3 to 8 offspring as many as four times a year. Mating is a brief and unromantic affair, with a male simply mounting a female whenever he pleases. Young are live born in lagoons where the young can practice their swimming and diving skills. Within a month they can move into the ocean and dive with the same skill as their parents. Despite appearances, this species is quite skilled at rock climbing and are known to snatch pterosaur flaplings and eggs from their nests on rocky seaside outcrops. Adult pterosaurs, such are Eudraco, are the principle predators of young Aigialotheres.*

*Main text is copied and pasted from front page of SIR.

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Spear-handed Spinespider
(Ceratoarachne oreius)

Habitat: Mountain crevices
Length: 15cm
Width: 12.7 cm (Including legs)
Food: Insects and small animals (Up to the size of a House Mouse)
Breeding: Unknown
Lifespan: Unknown
Status: Common

The Spinespiders are a diverse group of arachnids most closely related to the whip-scorpions. This particular genus are known as Spear spiders due to their fearsome front 'hands.' This species was described by expedition leader Serenity Parker:
Ceratoarachne oreius is an arachnid which can be found in crevices on Skull Island's two mountain ranges. Despite it's name, it is not a true spider and is actually more closely related to whipscorpions. It's body is compact with no clear distinction between it's head and the rest of the body. The foremost pair of limbs is long and sharp tipped, these are not used for walking but instead for impaling prey. The hindlimbs are short and end in hairy feet which have adhesive properties similar to gecko toe pads. Full grown individuals are exclusively carnivorous and have a total width of 5 inches. This species is far from picky and will happily eat any living thing it can impale with it's spear-like forelimbs. Insects are the most common prey, but small vertebrates (no larger than field mice) can also be killed. Cannibalism is common in all Ceratoarachne species. This genus is easily identified by the scute-like horns which form in a row along the edges of the body. This makes it harder to swallow for larger predators and gives it a very unique appearance. The mouth is hidden, located on the underside of the body like that of spiders. Males are nearly 30% larger than females and have thicker limbs and larger horns.

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Cave Spearspider
(Ceratoarachne troglodytus)

Habitat: Caves
Length: 12cm
Width (including legs): 9cm
Food: Small invertebrates
Breeding: Unknown
Lifespan: Unknown
Status: Common

The Spinespiders are a diverse group of arachnids most closely related to the whip-scorpions. This particular genus are known as Spear spiders due to their fearsome front 'hands.' This species was described by expedition leader Serenity Parker:
Ceratoarachne troglodytus is a fairly common cave dwelling arachnid, not a true spider, which preys upon cave crickets, cockroaches, and other cave dwelling arthropods. Outwardly this species is very similar to Ceratoarachne oreius, although the body is less robust and is lined with thin, sharp spines rather than the broad horns of the mountain species. C. troglodytus will grow no larger than 9cm wide and 12cm long. Nanospelaeus is a both a predator and competitor to these arachnids, and the two predators will often engage in vicious battles when the mammal decides to risk an attack on the arthropod. The bat is quite a bit bigger and can bite through the carapace of Ceratorarachne with ease. However, the spike-tipped forelimbs of the arachnid can cause mortal wounds to the bat and encounters between the two often leads to mutual destruction. As with other Ceratoarachne species little is known of their breeding habits or lifespan. They are cannibalistic to some degree but are more likely to simply avoid others of their kind instead of eating them.

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Stiltwalker
(Dolichoramphus philopiscus)

Habitat: Swamp
Length: 90cm
Height: 45cm
Weight: 3kg
Food: Fish, small vertebrates and worms
Breeding: 10-18 eggs buried in small mounds of mud and rotten plants
Lifespan: Unknown
Status: Common

Dolichoramphus philopiscus is a swamp dwelling theropod descended from basal Triassic theropod stock. Despite its highly derived characteristics, it still retains the flexible tail and four toed feet of the earliest theropods. Adults of this species are chicken-sized with enlongated stilt-like legs. It's body is covered in a thin coat of fuzzy protofeathers but its head, tail, and legs are scaly. The short neck and comically round body of this species is superficially similar to that of the New Zealand kiwi. The beak, however, is lined with small needlelike teeth which it uses to impale fish. The arms of this species have been reduced to short stumps. These stumps are entirely vestigial, and are supported by little more than a thick blocky remnant of the wrist. Partially webbed, wide-toed feet allow it to walk on soft mud and sand. The webbed feet work together with the well muscled, flexible tail to make it a talented swimmer. These feet make them somewhat slow and clumsy on dry land, and cannot run at all. Despite this, they have more to fear from aquatic predators than terrestrial ones. Large catfish, freshwater sharks, and phytosaurs are the most common predators of this bizarre theropod. Dolicoramphus is not social but are not territorial. Dozens of them can be seen fishing together, skewering small fish on their needle-sharp teeth. Females are the larger of the two sexes, nearly 50% larger than the males. They are dull earthy colours. Males, however, are more vibrantly coloured and have red and yellow striped bills and fatty folds of skin at the edge of the beak which flop around when the head is shook. Females find the males with the largest skin folds and brightest bills most attractive. Clutches of 10-18 eggs are buried in small mounds of mud and rotten plants. The eggs are watched closely by the mother until they hatch. After helping her offspring escape the eggs she will abandon them and the already independant offspring will begin their life as wading piscivores.*

*Main text is copied and pasted from front page of SIR.

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Tawny Unrat
(Poikilodon fulvus)
Habitat: Rainforest floor
Length: 20cm
Weight: 200g
Food: Invertebrates, small vertebrates and seeds/nuts
Breeding: 2 litters of 9-13 pups a year, one in January-March and another in June-September
Lifespan: Unknown
Status: Common

The Unrats are a diverse group of multituberculate that are made up of three genus': Rattomimus (The normal Unrats), Poikilodon (The tailess Unrats) and ?* This species was best described by expedition leader Serenity Parker:

Poikilodon fulvus is a rat-like multitubeculate which inhabits the rainforest floor, hunting for insects and other small prey. Like most multituberculates it is superfically rodent-like, looking quite like a stocky rat with a stubby remnant of the tail. This is a small animal, weighing no more than 200 grams. The fur, despite the species name, is variable in colour. While most individuals are tawny, fur colouration can range from cinammon red to nearly black. Sexual dimorphism is absent in this species. Females will have two litters of 9-13 pups a year, one in January-March and another in June-September. These pups are helpless at birth and will live with their mother in shallow underground burrows, rotten logs, or other hidden locations. The mother will supply the pups with milk and slowly ween them onto soft bodied invertebrates before abandoning them completely. This genus is best known for its varied tooth shapes. The teeth at the front of the mouth are sharp and conical, perfect for piercing the exoskeleton of beetles and roaches. Further back into the jaw are thin, razor-sharp cutting teeth which chop prey into tiny pieces. Behind these, at the back of the jaw, are flatter teeth which are used to crush nuts, seeds, and particularly hard shells. These three types of teeth grant Poikilodon a highly variable diet and contributes to its place as one of the most common animals on the island. The hands can be used to manipulate food, although they are not very dextrous and more often used to pin down squirming arthropods while they are eaten.

*I can't think of another genus so suggestions are welcome.

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Common Cave-crawler bat
(Nanospelaeus repens)

Habitat: Caves
Length: 7cm
Weight: 10-12g
Food: Insects
Breeding: 1-3 offspring
Lifespan: Unknown
Status: Common

The Cave-crawler bats, or Cave-crawlers (Nanospelaeus) are a genus of flightless bats native to the cave systems of Skull Island. They are voracious insectivores that crawl along the cave walls, hence their name, in order to pursue prey. Despite their resemblance to European microbats such as the Noctules*, they are instead believed to be descended from a Madagascan ancestor that crossed the ocean to Skull Island. This species was first described by expedition leader, Serenity Parker:
Nanospelaeus repens is one of Skull Island's many insectivorous bat species. Unlike most cave dwelling bats, however, Nanospelaeus has sacrificed its flying ability and instead prowls the walls of the cave for centipedes, spiders, and other arthropod prey. At full size these tiny mammals are only 7cm long. They make up for their miniscule size with their highly efficient bites. The jaws are lined with teeth much like those of most bats, what makes them such effecient insect eaters is how quickly they can bite. A centipede of similar length to the bat can be chewed through in seconds. Larger bats are careful when hunting Nanospelaeus since their potent bites can destroy wings and leave horrible wounds on the faces of their attackers. The body of this species is compact with moderately sized forelimbs with heavily reduced wing membranes and stubby but muscular hindlimbs. The body is sparsely coated with light brown hairs which do little to hide the pinkish skin underneath. The tail is reduced, as in most bats. The head is quite conventional aside from reduced ear size and eyes nearly twice as big as other bats. It has been hypothesized that these flightless bats have lost their ability to echolochate and instead rely entirely on their eyesight to find prey or spot predators. Little is known about their reproduction aside from litter size. A healthy female gives birth to 1-3 offspring at a time and will abandon them very shortly after birth. Another distinguishing feature of these bats over other species is that they have remarkably slow metabolisms, comparable to that of most lizard predators. Since they spend all of their lives within caves, they get energy by clinging to the cave wall and waiting for rising heat from geothermal vents deeper in the caves.

Expedition member, Tim Morris also discovered a currently unnamed species of Nanospelaeus: skullislandreborn.deviantart.c…

*These are the bats I based the design off of.

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False-snake (Falsnake)
(Pseudophis cryptos)

Habitat: Jungle undergrowth
Length: 30cm
Weight: 100g
Food: Invertebrates, small mammals
Breeding: Unknown
Lifespan: Unknown
Status: Common

The species was first described by Serenity Parker:
Pseudophis cryptos is a highly specialized and very strange lizard which, despite researchers best efforts, remains poorly understood. When it was first discovered in the 1940's it was believed to be a snake, and was only known from a sketch in a researcher's journal. When it was finally fond and observed in the late 1990's it became clear that it was instead a derived varanid. No more than 30cm when fully grown, this lizard burrows through mud and clay, searching for beetles and other arthropods. The faded red/brown body of this species is tubular and thick, with the tail equal length of the body. The head is somewhat similar to that of the African savannah monitor, but rounded out at the snout to make a C shape. The forelegs have been entirely lost, but the hindlegs still exist in the form of small claws which emerge from the base of the tail. These have been hypothesized to be used as claspers during mating. Little is known about this species aside from its diet, although the most recent expedition to the island has discovered that there may be as many as 3 Pseudophis species on the island. Future research and genetic analysis will hopefully shed some light on this strange little lizard.
My Deviantart: http://desorages.deviantart.com/

Birbs

"you are about to try that on a species that clawed its way to the top of a 4 billion year deep corpse pile of evolution. one that has committed the genocide you are contemplating several times already. they are the pinnacle of intelligence-based survival techniques and outnumber you 7 billion to 1" - humans vs machine
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Even
Roman Catholic theistic evolutionist
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
Seeing as this forum is spec-evo based, I wonder if we can have someone post SIR stuff on the main subforum here...
Currently a part of Specworld's revival and The Dark Phoenix's Dinosaur Spec... Still open for idea exchanges and commentaries

GENERATION 26: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the
generation. Social experiment.

My Pets
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Vorsa
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Mysterious tundra-dwelling humanoid
 *  *  *  *  *  *
Even
Dec 22 2014, 12:05 PM
Seeing as this forum is spec-evo based, I wonder if we can have someone post SIR stuff on the main subforum here...
They would have to get permission from it's creator, QueenSerenity2012, but I don't see why not.
Edited by Vorsa, Dec 22 2014, 12:11 PM.
My Deviantart: http://desorages.deviantart.com/

Birbs

"you are about to try that on a species that clawed its way to the top of a 4 billion year deep corpse pile of evolution. one that has committed the genocide you are contemplating several times already. they are the pinnacle of intelligence-based survival techniques and outnumber you 7 billion to 1" - humans vs machine
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Hybrid
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May Specula Grant you Bountiful Spec!

That doesn't exactly sound like a good idea to be honest, unless there's a warning saying "this isn't suppose to be plausible". It would be heavily criticized from nearly everybody. But then again, Skull Island was never plausible from beginning, middle, or end. Not even this incarnation.

There's some pretty ridiculous creatures too. Herbivorous abelisaurids, Animal Planet-esque mermaid-amphibians (as in, has fused limbs), various sea creatures that can easily escape the island, and a ton of other things. That's not to say I don't enjoy the project, it's just from a plausibility standpoint it just doesn't much sense.
If I sound rude while critiquing, I apologize in hindsight!
"To those like the misguided; look at the story of Man, and come to your senses! It is not the destination, but the trip that matters. What you do today influences tomorrow, not the other way around. Love Today, and seize All Tomorrows!" - Nemo Ramjet
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Vorsa
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Mysterious tundra-dwelling humanoid
 *  *  *  *  *  *
Hybrid
Dec 22 2014, 12:24 PM
That doesn't exactly sound like a good idea to be honest, unless there's a warning saying "this isn't suppose to be plausible". It would be heavily criticized from nearly everybody. But then again, Skull Island was never plausible from beginning, middle, or end. Not even this incarnation.

There's some pretty ridiculous creatures too. Herbivorous abelisaurids, Animal Planet-esque mermaid-amphibians (as in, has fused limbs), various sea creatures that can easily escape the island, and a ton of other things. That's not to say I don't enjoy the project, it's just from a plausibility standpoint it just doesn't much sense.
I agree with some of your points (I don't see the harm in having some oddities in there) but then maybe it would be good to post it here as it could then be improved.
My Deviantart: http://desorages.deviantart.com/

Birbs

"you are about to try that on a species that clawed its way to the top of a 4 billion year deep corpse pile of evolution. one that has committed the genocide you are contemplating several times already. they are the pinnacle of intelligence-based survival techniques and outnumber you 7 billion to 1" - humans vs machine
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Even
Roman Catholic theistic evolutionist
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
I'm actually also a project member... I mostly do the name-translating and calibrations to suit with archaeo-Indonesian culture (from which this project's island inhabitants' culture are based on)

Well, I agree with DesOrages that we would need the critiques in order to make it a properly reborn thing...

Let's check the higher-up(s) on this, shall we?
Currently a part of Specworld's revival and The Dark Phoenix's Dinosaur Spec... Still open for idea exchanges and commentaries

GENERATION 26: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the
generation. Social experiment.

My Pets
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Vorsa
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Mysterious tundra-dwelling humanoid
 *  *  *  *  *  *
It's been ages since I've posted here but here's some stuff from my conlang:

Spoiler: click to toggle
My Deviantart: http://desorages.deviantart.com/

Birbs

"you are about to try that on a species that clawed its way to the top of a 4 billion year deep corpse pile of evolution. one that has committed the genocide you are contemplating several times already. they are the pinnacle of intelligence-based survival techniques and outnumber you 7 billion to 1" - humans vs machine
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Troy Troodon
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Prime Specimen
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *
Not bad looking sketches you got. You're pretty neat at drawing out detail on some of the species.
I was benevolent and good, but misery made me a fiend!
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peashyjah
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Bydo
 *  *  *  *  *  *
Those drawings are awesome.
Discontinued projects:
The New Ostracoderms (i might continue with this project again someday)
The Americas (where in 58 million years from now in the future North and South America has both become isolated island continents)



All Expansions (my attempt at expanding the universe of All Tomorrows by Nemo Ramjet aka C.M. Kosemen, started June 6, 2018)
Anthropozoic (my attempt at expanding the universe of Man After Man and also a re-imagining of it, coming 2019 or 2020)
New Cenozoica (my attempt at expanding the universe of The New Dinosaurs and also a re-imagining of it, also coming 2019 or 2020)
All Alternatives or All Changes (a re-telling of All Tomorrows but with some minor and major "changes", coming June 10, 2018)
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Vorsa
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Mysterious tundra-dwelling humanoid
 *  *  *  *  *  *
Thanks guys!
My Deviantart: http://desorages.deviantart.com/

Birbs

"you are about to try that on a species that clawed its way to the top of a 4 billion year deep corpse pile of evolution. one that has committed the genocide you are contemplating several times already. they are the pinnacle of intelligence-based survival techniques and outnumber you 7 billion to 1" - humans vs machine
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DroidSyber
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I'll cut ya swear on me mum
 *  *  *  *  *  *
They look really good. I particularly like the bat
Non Enim Cadunt!

No idea how to actually hold down a project.
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