Wildlife of Zaitopia

The following is a list of Zaitopia's most noteworthy animal species, sorted geographically.

West Horn Penninsula

Imperial Mega Hawk

Imperial Mega Hawk
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Binomal name	Buteo imperiosus
Trophic Level	Apex predator
Size	3m (10') wingspan
Weight	12kg (26lbs)
Diet	Carnivore
Biome	Temperate Rainforest

These monstrous birds of prey were once the Apex Non-Kreature predators of the Zaitopian Northwest. With a huge wingspan and talons longer than a man’s fingers, they were capable of bringing down deer and other large mammals. Overhunting, overuse of pesticides and deforestation caused these already rare birds to become extinct for several decades. However, in recent years they have been brought back from the dead by using bits and pieces of their genome extracted from preserved museum specimens as well as their sister species, the Hooktalon Hawk. Efforts are currently underway to reintroduce them to their former habitat.

Cryptic Forest

Hooktalon Hawk

Hooktalon Hawk
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Binomal name	Buteo billaineus
Trophic Level	4
Size	1.4m wingspan (4'7")
Weight	1.2kg (2.7lbs)
Diet	Carnivore
Biome	Boreal and Temperate Forest

Also known as the Hooktalon Buzzard, this common bird of prey is found in forested biomes all across Dimentiara's northern hemisphere, from Zaitopia to Crylona to Rikenga. The largest subspecies is the Zaitopian Hooktalon, which has a 2.5m wingspan, though most are smaller than this. They feed primarily on rodents and smaller birds but can sometimes be ambitious enough to attack lambs and fawns. During the period of time when the Imperial Mega Hawk was extinct, Zaitopian Hooktalons increased in size by 20% and expanded their population into their larger cousin’s former domain.

Caustic Toad

Caustic Toad
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Binomal name	Anaxyrus amphurious
Trophic Level	3
Size	10cm long (3.9")
Weight	40g (1.4oz)
Diet	Insects
Biome	Temperate dedicuous forests, wetlands

A common, hardy amphibian with a voracious appetite. They are welcomed by gardeners thanks to their taste for garden pests. They do most of their hunting at night or during the rain, hiding away under leaf litter or in burrows through most of the day. The poisonous secretions from their parotoid glands can inflict a terrible burning sensation if they come into contact with mucosa or open cuts.

Forest Ironworm

Forest Ironworm
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Binomal name	Narceus cryptus
Trophic Level	2
Size	10cm (3.9")
Weight
Diet	Herbivore
Biome	Temperate deciduous forest

A large, cylindrical millipede. Their species name comes from the fact that the holotype specimen was collected from the Cryptic Forest, but they can be found on the Tremek Islands as well. They hide under leaf litter and rotting logs where they eat dead leaves, moss and other detritous. They have a hard exoskeleton and dozens of little tickly legs. When distressed, they will defend themselves by curling into a ball and secreting noxious chemicals which can cause dermatological burns.

Sauna Rainforest

King Tegu

King Tegu
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Binomal name	Salvator rex
Trophic Level	Apex Predator
Size	2.21m long (7'3")
Weight	50.8kg (112lbs)
Diet	Mesocarnivore
Biome	Tropical rainforest

The largest lizard in Dimentiara’s eastern hemisphere is a Tegu comparable in size to a Komodo Dragon. Unlike their more docile cousins, the Banded Tegu, they are able to maintain an endothermic metabolism outside the mating season, giving them the size and stamina to act as an apex predator. They will lay in wait and run down piglets and deer on their hindlegs. Massive jaw muscles and carnassial-like rear teeth allow them to dismember prey and crush bones, although they will also eat eggs and fruit on occasion.