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The main island of Atlantis is very different to that of the Hibernia and Skania to the north. For a start, it is a far larger one, full of different fauna related to the Miocene fauna of North America, along with limited European presence as well. Secondly, it is also warmer and thus more moderate, allowing more creatures to take residence here. The climate and habitat may not be that different, but the fauna is another kettle of fish entirely, one which comes in a very different form to that elsewhere.
The woodlands of northern Atlantis are a place of great interest, and while it could be argued that things become more different the further south you go, even these habitats have their own contrast of unusuality, consisting of more cold adapted fauna of Miocene north America, though unlike those creatures these animals are still alive and well. A herd of animals approaches the trees insearch of greenery to feed upon, though these are quite different to those deer found further north. These are herds of gracile camels, mixed with oreodonts. The camels here are even lankier than the vicinus of South America, and much more elegant in design, almost like antelope. These are known as dance-camels (cervicamelus matriforms) for their elegance, and they number in quite small herds found throughout the forests. They are quite small for camels, only in the region of 250-300kg, though this is enough for them to colonise large territories and have high general populations. They are quitter than deer due to their lack of hooves, and so are less likely to alert predators, meaning they are actually competing quite well with the arriving deer from the north, thus driving the latter into specialised positions. Dance-camels are some of the most adaptable of their kind, with unusually thick fur which allows them to weather the winters, but also moltable to allow them to thrive in summer without overheating. Males will often ‘dance’ for their females to compete with one another, hence giving them their names. They feed mainly on low plants, whether grass or bush, and so can live in many different places.
Another group of large herbivores also thrive in these territories, having taken up the role of bulkier herbivores similar to pigs, cattle and the like; the tapirs. Like their relatives, they have padded feet, but in this animal’s case they have adapted to another purpose, allowing it to effectively forage for food. The Atlantean hog (magnodon borealia) is a very generalised species which fills a similar ecological position to a pig or peccary, and the resemblance is quite profound. It is not a fussy eater and will eat whatever vegetation is on offer, allowing it to live in almost any habitat here. They have dark brown fur and camouflage with leaf litter, though unlike other herbivores here they are primarily solitary as adults. They are much larger than dance camels, and can reach weighs of up to 700kg at their largest, and are thus capable of scaring off a number of smaller animals, as well as providing muscle for younger camels. The males also have 15cm tusks that they use in fights with other members of their kind. However, this is not at all true for all predators in these forests. In fact, this kind of large prey can attract members of certain groups. Particularly bear dogs…
In the bushes, a monster lurks. Small birds fly around, waiting for it to be finished with its meal so they can peck meat off the bones. Squirrels jump above it, and rodents scurry under its belly, but this animal is too single minded to notice such trivial things. The hunt is all consuming. The blackbeast (lycotherium terriblus) is a great example of the type of predator that lives here-a powerful, efficient killer. It resembles both of its namesakes, the wolf and the bear. Larger species like this tend to resemble bears more, though this still has canine like attributes, particularly its build. An adult blackbeast will measure more than 3.5m in length with the tail and weigh in the region of 300+kg. It gets its name from having very dark fur that helps it camouflage in the forests, with a black mane that is often used for display. They are solitary beasts, with large skulls and teeth designed to crush bone. Their carnivorous diet makes them somewhat required to take on large prey such as the atlantean hogs and camels, though they won’t hesitate to attack deer, birds or even young gomphotheres when they feel hungry enough. The design of these creatures is one that would easily be intimidating towards any human, as it is towards many different herbivores and other predators as well.
While small lizards scurry between the leaves, another very different predator chases them around. A juvenile specimen of the terrorcoon (ailluroleo velocius), a powerful aillurid searches for food, while its parents are out hunting, taking care not to move too far from the nest. It hears the call of its parents and returns quickly. Terrorcoons are named for their resemblance to giant predatory racoons, though their bodies are very cat-like as is their role in the ecosystem as a secondary predator to the bear-dogs. An adult measures about 2.4m long including the tail and weighs in the region of 100kg, being big enough to attack many animals in its habitat, particularly young camels. They rely on ambush to gain their prey, though they will also signal to one another with black and white striped tails like lemurs which allows effective portrayal of their state of mind, and helps communication in general between members. The rest of their body has a lighter brown colour to it, similar to a puma of mainland America. They are some of the more common predators of this climate, and are more capable of adaption despite their cat-like appearance. Unlike cats they are capable of digesting some plant matter, and will do so when meat is scarce.
Other animals that live in this habitat consist of various other positions in the ecosystem. In the trees, a strange animal moves quickly and with great agility, but it is not a squirrel. It is a red-headed shrieker (Atlantosimius roufaucibus), a cold-adapted monkey that flourishes in this northern habitat. It is a fairly average sized primate , measuring about a metre long and weighing 14kg. they get their name from their high pitched shrieking noise that they make while trying to find mates. Like other primates, they are intelligent and sociable animals and thrive in forested conditions. They are actually a secondarily arboreal primate species which redeveloped their arboreal habitats after migrating from further south. These animals have brown fur like bark except for a large patch of red around their throats, which balloons up like that of a frigate bird while they shriek, to amplify the sounds produced. They live in very patriarchal societies, with males in charge of a harem of whom they dominate, though the male has enlargened thumb nails used to defend them and his offspring from predators like aillurids.
Though bear dogs come in various predatory forms, they also come in multiple omnivorous forms as well. One of these is the false-grizzly (ursocanis major). This animal is much more robust than other species, and is very omnivorous compared to other species, capable of rearing on its hind legs and searching for roots and berries as well as or even more than meat. It still has bear dog like characteristics, like a relatively large head and tail, but it for the most part resembles some unusual primitive bear. An adult false-grizzly varies between genders. The males stand around 2.6m tall and weigh up to 600kg, while the females are usually 2.1m and 300kg. Like grizzlies, their fur has subtle patterns of brighter shades of brown, resembling a grizzled look. These creatures are easily capable of scaring off even blackbeasts from their kills, but they do prefer to have some fruit in their diet, so they are not too deadly.
By far the largest animal in this habitat is the fork-tusker (dorydon giganteus), a huge gomphothere adapted to these forests. Adult bulls stand around 3.5m tall at the shoulder, measure more than 6m in length and weigh over 7 tonnes in weight, with females being slightly smaller. They are quite hairy for their kind, and are an infrequent sight due to their size and demand for food. They have four equally large tusks with are used like forks to stab the ground and uproot plants to feed upon, as well as helping them uproot trees when their trunks can’t reach, which is saying quite a lot considering their trunks can reach up to 5m above ground. They are solitary and much less intelligent than elephants or mammoths, though still more so than many other herbivores in this land. They are a remarkable sign of the durability of elephants in different conditions, even unusual ones like temperate forests.
Another large herbivore that occasionally roams these forests is the browsing monster known as the rumbler (dryotherium magnificens), a species of megalonych ground sloth, which has grown even bigger than megalonyx itself. It is one of the several immigrants from south America that has moved north across the islands towards the vast forests and plains of Atlantis itself. It is quite a gracile species, standing about 4m tall on its hind legs and weighing over 2 tonnes. As well as having long arms and relatively short head, indicating that unlike the megatherids of south America, it is a generalistic animal, and like tree sloths has a long tongue that it can use to grab vegetation, and is much more generalised than the megatherids. Rumblers travel in small groups unlike the elephants for protection against bear dogs, at times when their size isn’t an advantage, which is rare. These powerful behemoths vary in colour scheme depending on gender. A male will be a much brighter shade of brown, almost gold-like, whereas a female will be a dark brown in scheme. The claws can reach over 25cm long and are excellent for pulling down branches or for defense. They are surprisingly good parents and will look after their young quite effectively, though only one or two of the four young birthed is likely to survive to adulthood due to predation and disease. Nevertheless, they add to the unusual nature of the Atlantean ecosystem.
Bigger Pic
And those are the main notable fauna of the temperate woodlands. Next up will be the mediterreanean coastal regions of Atlantis. I’ll see you then!
The woodlands of northern Atlantis are a place of great interest, and while it could be argued that things become more different the further south you go, even these habitats have their own contrast of unusuality, consisting of more cold adapted fauna of Miocene north America, though unlike those creatures these animals are still alive and well. A herd of animals approaches the trees insearch of greenery to feed upon, though these are quite different to those deer found further north. These are herds of gracile camels, mixed with oreodonts. The camels here are even lankier than the vicinus of South America, and much more elegant in design, almost like antelope. These are known as dance-camels (cervicamelus matriforms) for their elegance, and they number in quite small herds found throughout the forests. They are quite small for camels, only in the region of 250-300kg, though this is enough for them to colonise large territories and have high general populations. They are quitter than deer due to their lack of hooves, and so are less likely to alert predators, meaning they are actually competing quite well with the arriving deer from the north, thus driving the latter into specialised positions. Dance-camels are some of the most adaptable of their kind, with unusually thick fur which allows them to weather the winters, but also moltable to allow them to thrive in summer without overheating. Males will often ‘dance’ for their females to compete with one another, hence giving them their names. They feed mainly on low plants, whether grass or bush, and so can live in many different places.
Another group of large herbivores also thrive in these territories, having taken up the role of bulkier herbivores similar to pigs, cattle and the like; the tapirs. Like their relatives, they have padded feet, but in this animal’s case they have adapted to another purpose, allowing it to effectively forage for food. The Atlantean hog (magnodon borealia) is a very generalised species which fills a similar ecological position to a pig or peccary, and the resemblance is quite profound. It is not a fussy eater and will eat whatever vegetation is on offer, allowing it to live in almost any habitat here. They have dark brown fur and camouflage with leaf litter, though unlike other herbivores here they are primarily solitary as adults. They are much larger than dance camels, and can reach weighs of up to 700kg at their largest, and are thus capable of scaring off a number of smaller animals, as well as providing muscle for younger camels. The males also have 15cm tusks that they use in fights with other members of their kind. However, this is not at all true for all predators in these forests. In fact, this kind of large prey can attract members of certain groups. Particularly bear dogs…
In the bushes, a monster lurks. Small birds fly around, waiting for it to be finished with its meal so they can peck meat off the bones. Squirrels jump above it, and rodents scurry under its belly, but this animal is too single minded to notice such trivial things. The hunt is all consuming. The blackbeast (lycotherium terriblus) is a great example of the type of predator that lives here-a powerful, efficient killer. It resembles both of its namesakes, the wolf and the bear. Larger species like this tend to resemble bears more, though this still has canine like attributes, particularly its build. An adult blackbeast will measure more than 3.5m in length with the tail and weigh in the region of 300+kg. It gets its name from having very dark fur that helps it camouflage in the forests, with a black mane that is often used for display. They are solitary beasts, with large skulls and teeth designed to crush bone. Their carnivorous diet makes them somewhat required to take on large prey such as the atlantean hogs and camels, though they won’t hesitate to attack deer, birds or even young gomphotheres when they feel hungry enough. The design of these creatures is one that would easily be intimidating towards any human, as it is towards many different herbivores and other predators as well.
While small lizards scurry between the leaves, another very different predator chases them around. A juvenile specimen of the terrorcoon (ailluroleo velocius), a powerful aillurid searches for food, while its parents are out hunting, taking care not to move too far from the nest. It hears the call of its parents and returns quickly. Terrorcoons are named for their resemblance to giant predatory racoons, though their bodies are very cat-like as is their role in the ecosystem as a secondary predator to the bear-dogs. An adult measures about 2.4m long including the tail and weighs in the region of 100kg, being big enough to attack many animals in its habitat, particularly young camels. They rely on ambush to gain their prey, though they will also signal to one another with black and white striped tails like lemurs which allows effective portrayal of their state of mind, and helps communication in general between members. The rest of their body has a lighter brown colour to it, similar to a puma of mainland America. They are some of the more common predators of this climate, and are more capable of adaption despite their cat-like appearance. Unlike cats they are capable of digesting some plant matter, and will do so when meat is scarce.
Other animals that live in this habitat consist of various other positions in the ecosystem. In the trees, a strange animal moves quickly and with great agility, but it is not a squirrel. It is a red-headed shrieker (Atlantosimius roufaucibus), a cold-adapted monkey that flourishes in this northern habitat. It is a fairly average sized primate , measuring about a metre long and weighing 14kg. they get their name from their high pitched shrieking noise that they make while trying to find mates. Like other primates, they are intelligent and sociable animals and thrive in forested conditions. They are actually a secondarily arboreal primate species which redeveloped their arboreal habitats after migrating from further south. These animals have brown fur like bark except for a large patch of red around their throats, which balloons up like that of a frigate bird while they shriek, to amplify the sounds produced. They live in very patriarchal societies, with males in charge of a harem of whom they dominate, though the male has enlargened thumb nails used to defend them and his offspring from predators like aillurids.
Though bear dogs come in various predatory forms, they also come in multiple omnivorous forms as well. One of these is the false-grizzly (ursocanis major). This animal is much more robust than other species, and is very omnivorous compared to other species, capable of rearing on its hind legs and searching for roots and berries as well as or even more than meat. It still has bear dog like characteristics, like a relatively large head and tail, but it for the most part resembles some unusual primitive bear. An adult false-grizzly varies between genders. The males stand around 2.6m tall and weigh up to 600kg, while the females are usually 2.1m and 300kg. Like grizzlies, their fur has subtle patterns of brighter shades of brown, resembling a grizzled look. These creatures are easily capable of scaring off even blackbeasts from their kills, but they do prefer to have some fruit in their diet, so they are not too deadly.
By far the largest animal in this habitat is the fork-tusker (dorydon giganteus), a huge gomphothere adapted to these forests. Adult bulls stand around 3.5m tall at the shoulder, measure more than 6m in length and weigh over 7 tonnes in weight, with females being slightly smaller. They are quite hairy for their kind, and are an infrequent sight due to their size and demand for food. They have four equally large tusks with are used like forks to stab the ground and uproot plants to feed upon, as well as helping them uproot trees when their trunks can’t reach, which is saying quite a lot considering their trunks can reach up to 5m above ground. They are solitary and much less intelligent than elephants or mammoths, though still more so than many other herbivores in this land. They are a remarkable sign of the durability of elephants in different conditions, even unusual ones like temperate forests.
Another large herbivore that occasionally roams these forests is the browsing monster known as the rumbler (dryotherium magnificens), a species of megalonych ground sloth, which has grown even bigger than megalonyx itself. It is one of the several immigrants from south America that has moved north across the islands towards the vast forests and plains of Atlantis itself. It is quite a gracile species, standing about 4m tall on its hind legs and weighing over 2 tonnes. As well as having long arms and relatively short head, indicating that unlike the megatherids of south America, it is a generalistic animal, and like tree sloths has a long tongue that it can use to grab vegetation, and is much more generalised than the megatherids. Rumblers travel in small groups unlike the elephants for protection against bear dogs, at times when their size isn’t an advantage, which is rare. These powerful behemoths vary in colour scheme depending on gender. A male will be a much brighter shade of brown, almost gold-like, whereas a female will be a dark brown in scheme. The claws can reach over 25cm long and are excellent for pulling down branches or for defense. They are surprisingly good parents and will look after their young quite effectively, though only one or two of the four young birthed is likely to survive to adulthood due to predation and disease. Nevertheless, they add to the unusual nature of the Atlantean ecosystem.
Bigger Pic
And those are the main notable fauna of the temperate woodlands. Next up will be the mediterreanean coastal regions of Atlantis. I’ll see you then!
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