Denocte
Sideralis Prairie - Biome type: Tall-grass prairie.
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Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardi): An exceptionally tall bunchgrass with blue-purple base stems and seed heads with spike-like projections. This bunchgrass can grow to be 10 feet tall.
Leadplant (Amorpha canescens): A tall flowering shrub with whorled odd-pinnate leaves and vibrant purple flowers atop racemes. This shrub can grow to be 3 feet tall.
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum): An tall bunchgrass with deep roots and seeds developed on spikelets. This grass can grow to be 9 feet tall.
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Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya): A perennial herbaceous flowering plant with linear leaves and stunning rose pink flowers on racemes. This flower can grow to be 3 feet tall.
Prairie Rosinweed (Silphium integrifolium): A perennial herbaceous flowering plant with thick stalks, miniature sunflowers, and whorled leaves. This flower can grow to be 6.5 feet tall.
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Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia): A small owl species that has evolved to sprint as well as fly, with small beaks, large yellow eyes, and brown and white barred feathers. Despite their name, they do not create the burrows they inhabit – but rather use abandoned Prairie Dog dens.
Leopard Ground Squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus): A distant relative of the prairie dog and squirrel, this small rodent is distinctly recognizable by medium length squirrel-like tail, thirteen alternating brown and white longitudinal lines on its back and sides, with white spots in between said lines. They are not as social as prairie dogs and do not form large colonies, but they are not solitary mammals. They dig long burrow systems that they use to hibernate in during the winter. This rodent can grow to be 11 inches long and weigh up to 9 ounces.
Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana): A medium sized antelope with distinctive horns on the males, and reddish-fawn to white coloring. The horns protrude upwards form their temples, form a distinctive inwards hook, and have a small prong on the front - where they get their name. They are incredibly fast, run at speeds of up to 55MPH for 1/2 mile (or 35MPH for 4 miles!), and live in small to medium sized herds. This antelope can grow to be 5 feet long, 41 inches high at the shoulder, and weigh up to 140 pounds.
Sickle Wolf (_____): _____
Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis): A stoutly build, short limbed mammal with a heavily furred tail, distinctive back stripes, and highly developed scent glands used for defense. They are not a serious threat to inhabitants, but will spray if startled. Their spray can temporarily impair vision and cause a burning sensation in noses, ears, mouths, and eyes. This mammal can grow to be 30 inches long and weigh up to 12 pounds.
Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda): A medium-sized bird with a dove-like head, long neck and legs, yellow and black bill,and heavily marbled brown and white feathers. This bird can grow to be 12 inches long, weigh up to 6 oz , and have a 26 inch wingspan.
Western Meadow Lark (Sturnella neglecta): A medium-sized vibrant bird with brown and white marbled back feathers and a distinctive bright yellow underbody with a black throat. This bird can grow to be 8.5 inches in length and weigh up to 10 oz.
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Bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi): A nonvenomous snake with yellow to reddish-brown coloring, large blotching pattern on their spine with three sets of spots on side, and black bands on their tail. This snake can grow to be 6 feet long and weigh up to 6 pounds.
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Vitreus Lake - Biome type: Deep freshwater lake in the middle of the Sideralis Prairie.
None.
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Broadleaf Cattail (Typha latifolia): A herbaceous plant with tall, grass-like leaves and signature sausage-shaped flowering heads. This plant can grow to be 10 feet tall.
Water-Shield (Brasenia schreberi): An aquatic plant floating peltate leaves (known as lily pads) and a single small purple flower. This plant can grow to be 12 inches in diameter.
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Cape Pondweed (Aponogeton distachyum): An aquatic flowering plant with narrow oval leaves and aromatic white flowers. This plant can grow to be 6 inches tall above the water.
Floatingheart (Nymphoides aquatica): An aquatic flowering plant with floating peltate leaves (known as lily pads) and small white flowers. This plant can grow to be 6 inches in diameter.
Lizard's Tail (Saururus cernuus): An aquatic flowering plant with heart-shaped leaves and aromatic white flower racemes that droop at the tips. This plant can grow to 4 feet tall.
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Avocet (Recurvirostra americana): A large ground-nesting, wading bird with long legs, cinnamon headfeathers, white underbody, black and white wings, and a black bill that is pointed and long. This bird can grow to be 20 inches long, weigh up to 15 ounces, and have a wingspan of 30 inches.
Double-Crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus): An iconic semi-aquatic bird with black body feathers, orange skin around their hooked bills, a stocky body with long neck, webbed feet, and fan-like tail. They are a species of bird that is best known for diving into the water to spear fish. Their feathers do not have an oily layer that keeps them dry - which would make it hard for them to dive and swim underwater - so after each time, they must dry out their feathers. They will often be spotted sitting on banks or logs with their wings spread out. This bird can grow to be 35 inches long, weigh up to 5.5 pounds, and have a wingspan of 48 inches.
River Otter (Lontra canadensis): A semiaquatic burrowing mammal with a long streamlined body, thick tail, webbed feet, and tiny ears almost flush to their head. They are opportunistic feeders, and will prey upon whatever is most readily available - whether it be small vertebrates, fish, or crustaceans. This mammal can grow to be 42 inches long and weigh up to 25 pounds.
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Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum): A medium sized solely aquatic salamander with distinctive filament-lined gill stalks, small underdeveloped legs, wide head, and a thick-base tapering tail. Unlike most salamanders, Axolotls do not have the ability to walk on land as they did not develop lungs during their metamorphosis. The come in a wide variety of colors; the most common is brown/tan with an olive undertone. Gold speckling across their skin is standard with almost every color. They also come in leucistic (pale pink with black eyes), albino (golden with golden eyes), axanthic (grey with black eyes), and melanoid (all black with no speckling or olive undertone). They can grow to be 18 inches long.
Mistsnare (_____): _____
Spectacled Caiman (Caiman crocodilus): A small to medium sized crocodilian reptile with a gray-green coloration and darker splotches, which gives them their spectacled name. Only the largest of these reptiles will be a risk to inhabitants, as smaller caimans will avoid them altogether. This reptile can grow to be 6.5 feet long and weigh up to 90 pounds.
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Largescale Archerfish (Toxotes kimberleyensis): A medium sized fish with distinctive silver-gold body, black blotches on both sides, and a large angled mouth. They are best known for their unique hunting style: with powerful streams of water, they can knock insects off and into the water from up to 60 inches away. They have exceptionally well-developed visual recognition, which makes them hard to catch as well. Wading inhabitants may find that these playful fish will spit streams of water at them, too. This fish can grow to be 20 inches long and weigh up to 25 ounces.
Piraíba (Brachyplatystoma filamentosum): The largest catfish in the world, this massive fish is a bottom feeder with a dark silver-gray back and noted white belly below their lateral line. They are piscovorious and only feed on fish, but waders beware. With their immensely powerful jaws, they may bite those who step on them by accident. This fish can grow to be 12 feet long and weigh up to 400 pounds.
Southern Saratoga (Scleropages leichardti): A large fish in the arowana group with a long body, large pectoral fins, large scales (each with a red spot), and small paired barbels on their lower jaw. They feast mainly on other fish and insects large and small. This fish can grow to be 35 inches long.
Various types of cichlids, carp, and trout.
Various types of freshwater crabs and crayfish.
Arma Mountains - Biome type: Coniferous boreal forest (midline) and alpine mountains (topline).
Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea): A coniferous evergreen tree with fissured bark and pointed crown. This tree can grow to be 65 feet tall.
Black Spruce (Picea mariana): A coniferous evergreen tree with a straight trunk, pointed crown, and scaly bark. This tree can grow to be 50 feet tall.
Grand Willow (_____): _____
Himalayan Hemlock (Tsuga dumosa): A coniferous evergreen tree with thick bark and spirally arranged leaves This tree can grow to be 80 feet high.
Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta): A coniferous evergreen tree with thick bark and widely branching trunks. This tree can grow to be 160 feet tall.
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Iceland Moss (Cetraria islandica): A small moss-like lichen with chestnut colored leaves. This lichen can grow to be a few inches tall at most.
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Alpine Forget-Me-Not (Eritrichum nanum): A small flowering cushion plant with hairy oval leaves and bright blue flowers. This plant can grow to be 5 inches tall.
Common Wood Sorrel (Oxalis acetosella): A small flowering plant with clover-like leaves and bright white flowers.
Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum): A herbaceous flowering plant with a tall green stem, two pinnate leaves, and small white flowers clustered in umbels. The entire plant is extremely toxic, and ingesting even small doses can lead to respiratory collapse and death, caused specifically by muscular paralysis. A fatal dose can be as small as 10 fresh leaves. This plant can grow to be 8 feet tall.
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Alpine Ibex (Capra ibex): A large species of wild goat with a distinctive small chin-beard and uniformly brown-gray fur. The males sport large, slightly curved horns and females sport smaller, straighter ones. They form small herds of a few individuals, and are very adept at traversing the rocky terrain of the mountains. They are not aggressive, but males will charge if threatened or rutting. This goat can grow to be 40 inches tall at the shoulder, 67 inches long, and weigh up to 260 pounds.
Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus): A small nocturnal owl with distinctive brown and white barred feathers, and a large head. They feed on small vertebrates. This owl can grow to be 10 inches long and have a wingspan of 24 inches.
Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosi): Found only in the taiga forest midline of Arma Mountains. A medium sized predatory feline with fur thinner than the higher-altitude Snow Leopard, long tails, and distinctive spots. They are not large enough to prey upon the adult inhabitants of Novus, but may try to pick off small foals. This feline can grow to be 20 inches tall at the shoulder, 45 inches long, and weigh up to 50 pounds.
Snow Gryphon (_____): _____
Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia): Found only in the alpine topline of Arma Mountains. A large predatory feline with distinctively large paws on shorter legs, long tails, and thick spotted fur. They are a predatory animal, and do pose a risk to the inhabitants of Novus - especially those that are physically smaller. This feline can grow to be 24 inches tall at the shoulder, 60 inches long (100 with tail), and weigh up to 165 pounds.
Takin (Budorcas taxicolor): A large and stocky goat-antelope with short legs, deep chests, large head with a blunt muzzle, long shaggy coat with a darker dorsal stripe, and small horns. This goat-antelope can grow to be 55 inches at the shoulder, 87 inches long, and weigh up to 770 pounds.
Various types of perching songbirds.
White-Tailed Ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura): A small grouse with gray, white, and black feathers in the summer (and completely white in the winter). It nests on the ground in small rocky areas. This bird can grow to be 12 inches long, and can weigh up to 1 pound.
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