Apicai

Scientific Name
Apicai
Common Name
Daggerjaw
Height
220-250cm
Mass
1200-1600kg
Planet of Origin
Biome
Habitat
Description

Daggrejaws are large predators characterized by a green or gray-striped hide that provides a form of armored protection. Their name comes from the pair of mandible-like limbs that extend from the face. These limbs are used to disable and kill prey. Daggerjaws sense their prey with large organs for sensing vibrations, called tympanums, situated along the head and neck.

3d asset
Species Image
Image of Daggerjaw
ASSET ID
b32893d7-5eb5-4c95-8ab9-db552c114353
Lifespan
15-20 Earth years
Habitat Details

Daggerjaws are terrestrial, but females will not stray far from water during the breeding season. They rest and hunt in the thick understory of forests formed by umbrella trees. A deeply shaded forest with thick understory is crucial to a daggerjaw's ability to ambush its prey. Daggerjaws cannot pursue prey for long distances in open areas.

Diet Details

Daggerjaws eat small to medium herbivores, such as sonar, legs, and juvenile ridgeheads. Daggerjaws are well camouflaged, using sight and sound to find their prey before exploding from the underbrush on an unsuspecting prey.

Reproduction Details

Daggerjaws are highly territorial creatures that interact only with other members of their species when mating. Daggerjaws practice monogamy, because the population is spread over a large region. Females lay leathery capsules and bury them in a mound of loose substrate. Eventually, these capsules will hatch and daggerjaw young will be left to fend for themselves without any care from the parents. 

Interesting Fact

An adult daggerjaw has one of the strongest bites on Alluria, generating as much as 28,000 kPa of pressure (4060 PSI). Despite their fearsome reputation, daggerjaws are crucial to maintaining healthy populations of herbivores in the Allurian Forest.