Exotic animal keepers are often disappointed to learn that the vlad's fanciful "hole-punched" wings don't function off its homeworld. They are even less thrilled when they find out the vlad's blood-draining rostrum suffers no similar limits. Incidentally, these two traits make the vlad very popular amongst gladiator rings.
Vlad
Blade-Tongued Knabit
A laid-back and peaceful creature, the blade-tongued knabit is more than happy to be mistaken for a lumpy rock. In fact the knabit goes out of its way to appear as completely uninteresting as it possibly can, content to lay about doing absolutely nothing for days on end. The knabit also puts especial effort into keeping its bladed tongue hidden, not out of modesty but so no one can fully prepare for the attack. The knabit isn't particularly vicious, it attacks only what it intends to eat (and being lethargic means it doesn't need much), but it does seem to enjoy scaring the willies out of everyone else.
Baatle Beetle
Although widely bred for sport fights, baatle beetles are notoriously difficult to motivate. Even with the promise of mates and food, or the proddings of speartips, the would-be fighters are liable to bugger off and do nothing particularly impressive. Of course when the beetles actually DO battle, they are spectacularly violent affairs, with hacked limbs and crushed thoraxes and all manner of debilitating injuries -- though the beetles are remarkably durable and will regenerate most damage within a few molts.
The discarded exoskeletons themselves make popular souvenirs and 'trophies.' In fact, many baatle beetle breeders forgo trying to make the darn things fight and simply make their living selling off the shedded husks.
The term "beetle" is thought to have derived from "beat all", named so either because of how fierce the creatures (eventually) get or simply how fierce they look. Others think instead it's just a nonsense word invented to sound like "battle." Still others think the beetle got its name because it superficially resembles the diminutive exoskeletals of a long-lost world. The galaxy may never know....
Rocket Burbly
Aeons ago, the rocket burbly’s ancestors swam the world-spanning ocean like most everything else. They eventually learned to fly through the skies, not so much for protection but because from the air they only have to worry about looking down.
Although largely thought of as mere animals, the rocket burbly do have some degree of sapience, even referring to themselves as “overlords of the undergloop.” But only in private.
(Alternate Colors)
