Cawoo

Two Cawoo with their Raider owner (Above)

Large reptilian that spends its time in the Wola, acting as the main animal of choice for travelling the large desert.

Basic Information

Anatomy

by mirrors519

Rare Cawoo taken out of their natural habitat of the Wola and into the jungle
Though most Cawoo differ slightly depending on which part of the Wola they come from, with some having feathers or different claw shapes to deal with their region of the desert, they all have the base features of the species. Cawoo are two legged reptilians with two arms and a large tail. The most defining feature of all Cawoo is a set of claws, which is where they get their name from meaning "Claws of the Desert" in Siaran, mostly used to dig up dirt to search for small creatures, insects, and roots to plants. Their narrow mouths are perfect for getting into the dirt to grab and food that might be hidden away.

Survival in the Wola

Due to the Wola's lack of rain throughout the year, most Cawoo hang around one of the oases throughout the region as they do not have anyway of storing water for a prolonged period of time. Though they don't have the gift of a water storage system, their skin is evolution at its finest as they have one of the best heat resistant bodies and light reflectors on Rhydar. Due to the strange structure of their skin, which Rhydan scientist still have trouble figuring out today, they are able to reflect almost all light that hits their skin, leading to their skin actually being very cold to the touch as they also host a very low body temperature as to not overheat in the desert's scorching heats. Some Cawoo that live in the colder regions of the desert, up north, evolved to grow feathers from their skin during the colder winter months as to not freeze to death due to their cold body temperature.

Genetics and Reproduction

The Cawoo reproduces through sexual reproduction, having both female and males sexes. Once inseminated, the female produces eggs, usually 3-5, and stores them in a special pouch she has in her lower region. This is due to the fact that Cawoo eggs actually need a cold environment, as they are extremely heat sensitive, so this pouch keeps the eggs cold until the young Cawoo are ready to hatch and emerge from the pouch.

Growth Rate & Stages

The average lifespan of a Cawoo is 20-25 years, meaning a Rhydan can have multiple Cawoo offsprings throughout their life, which is one of the many things that makes them very viable to domesticate. Even though their lifespan is relatively short, they take around 8 years until they are fully grown and able to carry full size Rhydans with heavy equipment. At around the 5 year mark most Cawoo start being used to carry light materials and Rhydans of lighter weight.

Dietary Needs and Habits

by Cthulhusaurus-Rex

Normally poison plant that the Cawoo digs up and eats the roots of
A Cawoo diet mostly consists of herbs and roots of plants, as it can digest most plant life. Though most of their diet consists of plants, they are omnivores and snack on smaller insects and pests that it can manage to find in the desert.

Biological Cycle

by Jon-Kuo

Female Feathered Cawoo
The only Cawoo that have to worry about seasonal changes are the northern Cawoo. They have feathers that they grow out in the winter months due to the Wola's cold temperature up north, and then shed them in the summer months when the weather heats back up to blistering temps.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Cawoo are the only known species in the Wola known to have a family structure of sorts. With the males being at the top of the pecking order, followed by the eldest son, mother, and then the rest of the sons and daughters. They typically stay in packs of two or three families consisting of 10 - 20 members

Average Intelligence

by Way Way

Decorated Cawoo
Cawoo are above average when it comes to intelligence. They have a strict family order and are one of the very few species that voluntarily domesticated with Rhydans, understanding the benefits they could have with them.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Cawoo have the senses of hearing and touch, however, due to their poor sense of sight their most important sense is a special one that allows them to sense movement and map out their surrounding area better using receptors on their feet.

Lifespan

20-25 years

Conservation Status

The Cawoo thrives in the Wola, being the only large omnivore in the area it stomps over the competition.

Average Height

Males (5.5 - 6.0 ft.)
Females (4.5 - 5.0 ft.)

Average Weight

Males (600 - 650 lbs.)
Females (450 - 500 lbs.)