Darqea (Dar-key-uh)
A desert dwelling lizard that is used as a mount / beast of burden by the people of the Zayira Desert especially the military units of Zelcel.
Basic Information
Anatomy
The Darqea are large quadrupedal lizards. Adults are about four feet high and between eight and ten feet long.
Growth Rate & Stages
Darqea are hatched from clutches of 10 to 15 eggs that are oval and about one foot in length. The eggs are tended by the female, with the male bringing food back to the nest for the mother. The eggs hatch in about thirty days after being laid. The young are mobile and active within a day of hatching, although they stay near near nest for several weeks as they grow. After about three weeks, the young will leave the nest to start hunting for their own food, often following the male or the female on their hunts. Between four and six months of age, the young will leave the nest and start living on their own.
Ecology and Habitats
The darqea are found only in the cold desert of the Zayira. Darqea are generally nocturnal, but they can be found in the wild during the day around water sources and in the shady areas around mountains. The darqea are also very good burrowers, and dig small caves, or even just dig themselves under the sand to protect them from sand storms or the heat of the desert.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Darqea are omnivores. They feed on other lizards, snakes and animals found in the desert, and are often seen eating cactus when not near water sources. They do show a preference for some of the sweet and fatty fruits that are found near oases.
Biological Cycle
The darqea can live for about thirty years, and reach sexual maturity at two years old. Darqea mate in the early fall when the days begin to cool off. The female carries the eggs until early spring, and then lays the eggs in a small cave.
Additional Information
Domestication
Darqea have been domesticated by the people of Zelcel for many generations. The domesticated darqea do not produce offspring, even though many attempts have been made to do so. Instead, nests are found each spring by the darqea trainers, and half the eggs from a clutch are taken to be hatched and raised. The darqea make great mounts once fully grown, and are very loyal towards their riders / owners. This loyalty, along with their hunting skill make them great mounts for warriors, and the darqea is usually trained to fight in combat as well.
Geographic Distribution
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