Saurian

This is the very first document I am creating, and I'm slightly nervous. I'm not sure how to format everything, and I don't even know where to start. I will try and update these documents every time we come across new information, so to anyone who reads this I apologise if there is any information missing.

— Aipo

Saurians are our (Eiki and I's) main focus in our research mission. We have been tasked with studying every single aspect of their existence, sparing no details.
Saurians are the first sapient species to have ever existed on Earth, a planet in the Kinosmo Solar System. Unlike humans, the second sapient species to exist on the planet, saurians had a very limited geographic distribution, having only been discovered in what is now known as Central Europe.
They existed approximately 140 million years ago in Earth time, which is why Eiki and I were sent back in time to study them, as the People's Association had no data on them.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Saurians have a build very similar to humans; standing on two legs, long arms with individually moving digits, opposable thumbs, and larger brains.
Saurians are reptilians, are cold-blooded, and therefore need to thermoregulate. They do this with the short sails on their backs and atop their heads, which glow brighter in the sun, as it absorbs heat energy. The colour of the sails can differ, and I have noted down a total of fifteen differen hues, from bright reds to dark greens. Not only do saurians have short sails on their heads, they also have small feathers growing along either side. These feathers have a wider range of colours, which are inherited from parents.

Standing straight, saurians reach an average height of 2.5 metres, or just over 8 feet. Their height does come with a disadvantage, as their arboreal lifestyle becomes slightly more challenging as canopies are harder to traverse. To help, they have a prehensile tail covered in feathers. These feathers puff up when saurians are in danger, to appear larger and more dominant. If that doesn't work, the sails will also appear larger, as they will swell up. Swelling the sails for an extended period of time will cause significant brain damage, which has been observed on multiple occassions and shows a lack of understanding from the saurians.

Genetics and Reproduction

Similar to many sapient species from other planets, saurians do not have a set mating season. They are also ovoviviparous, meaning the eggs they produce hatch inside the body, and then give birth to live young. I only know this because I discovered a deceased pregnant saurian, and took the opportunity to examine the insides, where I found remains of soft eggshells.

If saurians are similar to other ovoviviparous animals, then babies are nourished with a yolk inside the mother, and are birthed fully functional, similar to mammals. After watching several pregnant females (that sounds weirder than it was), I can determine gestation period for a saurian is about eleven months.

Growth Rate & Stages

Baby saurians are born with many innate behaviours, which is also rare among sapient species in the Yonderverse. Babies are born with the ability to walk, after the first few minutes of birth will be up and literally running. What's even weirder is that the babies are much faster than parents, and are commonly causing trouble for adults.

Most saurian cultures classify juveniles in two stages: children and teenagers. In their own languages of course. Children are between birth and 10 years of age, while the teen years only last up to the age of 13. The years of being a child is the main stage where saurians develop and mature, both physically and mentally. The three teenage years are where saurians grow their feathers, the last stage in their development.

Ecology and Habitats

Saurians are an arboreal species, meaning they live in the treetops. This is very unusual for a dinosaur species, but I suspect it is an evolutionary tactic to avoid predators, as they live higher up than any ground-level dinosaur. With their prehensile tail that is also unique in dinosaur species, saurians can swing from branch to branch, hooking on to tree trunks with their sharp, jagged talons.

Dietary Needs and Habits

All saurians that I have observed are omnivorous, eating plants, fungi, meat, basically anything they can find. Different cultures Eiki and I have documented all have varying diets, some even sporting carnivorous or herbivorous diets, but the vast majority eat about 2/3 plants & fungi to 1/3 meat.

Interestingly, many cultures consume a larger amount of fungi than any other food product. Lots of cultures grow fungi on the tree trunks of the treehouses they call home, such as the arborians.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Saurians can be found across the Tethys Islands, a group of islands we have named. The Tethys Islands are what is now known as Germany, France, Belgium, Switzerland and Austria. There are a total of 68 islands in the Tethys Islands, 54 of which are inhabited by saurians. We have recorded a few groups of saurians travelling to the mainland, spending no more than a day there.

Average Intelligence

Saurians are a very intelligent species, otherwise they wouldn't be classified as a sapient creature. Capable of processing information no other animal can at this time, saurians have formed various languages for effective communication, organisations, able to comprehend the past and future, as well as visualise things, something no other dinosaur can do.

Lifespan

40 years

Average Height

2.5 metres

Average Weight

100kg - 140kg

Geographic Distribution

• Permari

Related Ethnicities

• Arborian
• Ilvian

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It is imporant to note that most of this information only applies to a few different races. Much of the information will differ slightly depending on what group of saurian it is. The best example would be diets, as each culture consumes different foods not every saurian is an omnivore. Some are carnivores, some are herbivores, and even if they aren't the healthiest of beings that is what they consume.

Eiki and I have discovered a total of 54 races of saurians, that each live on a different island. Their ancestors travelled a lot, and never attempted to remember those that lived before them, so any information they had about their predecessors no longer exist. For all each culture knows, they are the only saurians. This has caused great diversity in each culture, and it is something we are working hard on documenting, producing different articles for each culture and noting every little detail about them.