Тема: Thanator
Common Name:Thanator
Na'vi Name:Palulukan or “Dry Mouth Bringer of Fear”
Taxonomy:Bestiapanthera ferox or “fierce panther beast”
Habitat:Rainforest floor. Similar species have been observed in subarctic regions.
Anatomy:Armored head and massive distensible armored jaw. Teeth are twenty-three centimeters long. Burnished black skin banded with stripes of yellow and scarlet. Ten external sensory quills. Upper lips fold back for maximum tooth extension. Armored chitinous plating over dorsal area.
Feeding Ecology:Apex land predator, omnivore with preference for nocturnal hunting
Size:Reaches more than 5.5. meters long, up to 2.5 meters tall
Notes:The most fearsome of all Pandoran land predators. Wide, armored tail can slam prey or defend against other thanators. Cartilaginous plates around its neck that can flare, possibly as a threat display but more likely as an echolocation or other sensory pinpointing system. Given its anatomy, it is likely that thanator is evolutionary relative to the viperwolf.
Overview
Although many regions of the moon have yet to be explored, xenobiologists currently believe that the thanator may be the apex land predator on Pandora. Reminiscent of a Terran panther, this enormous, powerful animal is unique in its ability to lord over its territory and strike fear into the largest and fiercest of Pandora's creatures. Even the Na'vi, who are renowned for their courage, are shaken by the approach of the creature; it is not celebrated in dance or song.
Its musculature is pronounced and impressive, providing power for protracted runs and leaps. The speed of its neck and jaw strike is as swift as a camera shutter. In addition to conventional ripping and tearing, the thanator can also deliver a lethal blow from its armored tail. Not even the roots of a great Pandoran tree can protect a thanator's prey from it's razor sharp claws. In addition the thanator's senses are so highly developed that, depending on atmospheric conditions, it can detect prey up to thirteen kilometers away.
The thanator appears to hunt alone and normally does not stray outside of its territory, which is believed to be roughly 300 square kilometers. It appears to hunt mainly at night, although seems to make an exception if hungry enough.
Surprisingly, the thanator has ten sensory quills, two each sprouting from armor plating that encircles the rear of the skull. The function of the quills is poorly understood, but it has been hypothesized that they may be tied to an internal mechanism of prey location.
This magnificent creature's black leathery skin also boasts several skin flaps on the rear of the head and surrounding the mouth. Xenobiologists have deduced that these flaps are a type of warning to intimidate the thanator's prey. Upon seeing it's prey, or any sizable creature, the facial folds proceed to flesh out. This activity much resembles the territorial display of a terran snake or a peacock's presentation of its feathers during mating season. Although such an event has never been witnessed, it is hypothesized that these flaps may also be used by the thanator to impress its mate. Although the thanator's violent nature makes it very hard to study, it continues to be one of Pandora's most impressing features.
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