World of Aion - Novel Island Endemics

Hello again,

It's time for another post about the world of Aion.

The insular biomes of Aion are interesting for a few reasons, mainly that to some extent, earthly insular faunas correspond to certain islands or archipelagos on Aion. For the most part, island endemic animals still only occur on certain islands, even the ones that have long-established on Aion. The main reason for this is that the intermittent appearance of portals links certain islands here to certain places and times on earth, exclusively.

The result is a bunch of insular faunas that vaguely resemble those seen on earth. However, certain unusual endemic forms have also arisen, which is what I am covering here.

On the Pereza Islands, which are roughly analogous to the Caribbean, the main predator is an enormous, eagle-sized spectral bat. This fierce predaceous bat may reach a wingspan of up to 2.7 meters, and does most of its hunting at night

 

On this same archipelago, there are numerous diminutive, pygmy ground-sloths, of the Megalocnidae. One specialized kind is this beaver-sized aquatic form, which paddles around in slow-flowing rivers and swamps, feeding on aquatic plants.

 

One of the smallest of the Pereza Islands' sloths is this one, no bigger than a small terrier. It is able to move and feed both in trees and on the ground, and is fairly pugnacious, defending itself by scratching and biting.

 

 

Verdant Island is a large island analogous to historical Madagascar (though somewhat smaller), and familiar creatures there include elephant-birds and lemurs, including giant ones. One novel type of endemic giant-lemur is this gibbon-like brachiating form, which is able to leap and swing swiftly through the rainforest canopy.

On Verdant Island, the insects and spiders seem particularly novel and superbly adapted.

Inhabiting monsoon-forest and rainforest is this speciose genus of brightly colored jumping spider. The largest species in this genus will often reach 5.5 centimeters in head-and-body length, and individual species can mainly be differentiated by size and coloring. This genus belongs to its own distinct family, which is descended from the Salticidae

It is most notable for its diet, feeding entirely upon the nectar of forest flowers. The paired chelicera are elongated and fused into a flexible tube, being used in concert with its specialized mouth in order to suck nectar. Many species of this genus serve to pollinate certain kinds of shrub, epiphyte and liana.

 

Another unique Arthropod from Verdant Island is this genus of flightless, raptorial Robber-Fly. Fast running and equipped with mantid-like fore-claws, they hunt various other insects on the forest-floor.

 

In the forests of this same island, lives yet another unusually specialized insect. Descended from Carpenter Bees, this large wingless bee is harmless and solitary, making nests for its eggs by boring tunnels in live wood. It feeds by chewing holes in the bark of certain trees in order to consume nutritious sap or resin.

The Pumillio Islands have a distinctly Mediterranean climate, and host various Mediterranean-islands fauna from the Miocene, Pliocene and the last Ice Age. One newly-evolved form which occurs here is this truly prodigious, cat-sized hamster.

 

The large southern island of Teiteioa is mostly analogous to New Zealand, hosting various typical inhabitants such as Dinornis moa, Heracles Parrots and the Haast Eagle. Some new forms have arisen here, such as this ground-dwelling parakeet, which is adept and walking, running and climbing, it feeds mostly on insects, snails and small vertebrates.

  

Another inhabitant of Teiteioa is this flightless rail, thought to be descended from the Pukeko. Pugnacious and as large as a turkey-cock, it feeds mostly on fallen fruit and seeds, but also land snails and insects such as Wetas.

 

 

This flightless passeriform bird is descended from the endemic New Zealand wrens, but has become more predatory and pugnacious in having adapted to Teiteioa. No heavier than a garden blackbird, it is notable for its outsize beak, which is its main weapon for catching and killing prey, which varies from insects and worms to different kinds of small vertebrate.

 

 

 

 

One equatorial set of offshore islands has many kinds of endemic lizards, mostly unremarkable, with the exception of this giant Agamid. Reaching up to 2.5 meters long, it is an omnivore with a preference for other lizards, bird's eggs, and fallen fruit.

 

The Sauratian islands is prominent equatorial group of islands including the largest island on Aion, here we see many uniquely adapted animals, mostly Cretaceous in origin.

 

Inhabiting rivers, streams and swamps are these ubiquitous giant tadpoles, which can grow as long as a man's hand, voracious predators of other aquatic life, even each-other. The tadpoles are of a kind of Horned-Frog, but unique in spending most of their lives, all 10 to 12 years of it, in the tadpole stage. Adults are ephemeral in nature like Mayflies, and only exist in order to reproduce in large numbers every few years, dying immediately after. 

 

This tiny Notosuchian is adapted as a rat-like gnawing herbivore, mainly feeding on stems, seeds, fruit and occasionally insects. Reaching no larger than 16 centimeters long, they are furtive and able to retreat at great speed.

 

 The Cretaceous mammals that colonized the Sauratian Islands in some cases underwent events of evolutionary variance unseen elsewhere. This cat-sized Cimolestan is adapted to feed upon earthworms by probing the soil with its long, sensitive incisors. Its jaws lack molars or canines, and are dominated by the long conical incisors which are enervated to allow it to detect prey when probing the ground.

 

The Dinosaurs on this island are also unique, this fair-sized paravian seems to be descended from Troodontid ancestors, but is adapted as a fowl-like herbivore. It is also notable for having extensive defenses, sharp quills and a thagomizer-like array of keratinous tail-spines.

 

Unusually, the apex predator of this island ark is in fact and Ornithischain, descended from Leptoceratopsids. Reaching up to 1 ton, it is a powerful and adaptable predator that makes easy prey of other insular Dinosaurs.

 

Also descended from the Leptoceratopsidae is this deer-like, 90-kilogram browsing form, which has adapted to run at high speeds to evade predators. Commonly hunted by its more predatory relative, it is possible that it became adapted for speed in a sort of evolutionary arms-race with its main predator.

 

So that is a quick look at some of the endemic island-fauna found in various parts of Aion.

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