Orokon

Description:

With the size of a whale, the Orokon is one of the largest invertebrates in the galaxy, and one of the main predators on the mountainous plains of planet Sathala. Just like many lifeforms in this environment, they developed a way to fly, eventually becoming rulers of the skies. With their small membranous wings, they grab into the dense atmosphere and heavy winds and glide in the air. They have long tails, sporting the same sort of thick membrane, that help them keep control while soaring through the winds. They have small tentacles on their underside, sensing movement of the air, indicating wind changes and position of potential prey and also provide movement on the ground. They have six tiny eyes, right next to their large nostrils, scanning both the ground for obstacles and places to land safely, if something goes wrong. They can't see forward, when they open their gigantic mouths, filled with razor sharp teeth. They can't smell either, but they wouldn't need it anyway, because the winds blow away any scent. Even though they're not social creatures, their wing patterns are still very important to identify each other, so they can choose their mates. Every pattern is different for every Orokon, but it's not known what criteria is present in the selection. Could be vividness of the colors or the complexity of the patterns. Mating happens on the ground. Orokons are hermaphrodites, which means that they have both female and male reproductive organs. Both Orokons will be fertilized and carry up to 50 eggs inside themselves. The larvae will develop inside their parents, and hatch once the carrier has reached the end of their life. After hatching they eat their way out, acquiring important sustenance. At this point, the larvae are still extremely vulnerable. Out of 50 larvae, 20 will survive at best. In early stages of their lives, they walk on the ground, hiding in the vegetation, eating hard shelled fruit and small animals. After the larval stage, comes the fledgling phase. They bloat up into a slimy blob and molt off their larval bodies. Their bodies develop, their tails form and their mouths take shape and reach a fifth of their final size. But at this point they can only use their tales as legs. In the fledgling phase, they start preying on medium sized animals and eat carrion. Sometimes they form groups. The fledglings are fierce predators already, but they're still vulnerable. Out of 20, 10 will survive at best. Then comes the pupa phase. Their skin hardens and starts leaking slime. They dig a vertical hole in the ground, and climb inside it, face down. The slime they leaked, will fill the hole in, and will only allow slight movement for the young Orokon, to dig itself even deeper. It's growth rate increases, and the rest of their bodies develop. This phase will go on for years. Once the pupa phase is over, they push their tails out of the ground and pull their bodies out, search for a relatively high place and grab into the winds.