Purpureodon

(Still working on this page – first draft)

Purpureodon dracomimus (PUR-puh-RAY-oh-don)
“Purple toothed dragon-mimic”

     This omnivore is a native to Vulpecula Beta; (according to current science) the closest thing the moon has to sapient life. It is intelligent, but not very – probably close to that of an Earthly chimpanzee – it has the ability to use rudimentary tools, and appears to “speak” to its fellows, but so far the clicking, whistling language has proved to be beyond current Vul science to translate.

     The species is not a huge one – most adult males do not exceed four and a half feet in height.

     The species originated in the trees, hence its lack of size and the backward pointing “thumb” toe – unlike the Vul dew-claw, which was unneeded and evolved away to nothing, the thumb on the feet of this species evolved to be able to grip branches. Their arboreal ancestry has given them opposable thumbs on their hands also, and while they are able to use very crude tools like hammers to break into nuts, their fingers are rather too long to be highly dextrous.
     Purpureodon are a rather ubiquitous species on the Beta, with tribes living on most terrain now; some still live in their ancestral homes, whereas some now live on the small plains and some on the mountains. Small racial differences have resulted from their diversification – the forest dwelling tribes tend to have far smaller “wings”, the plains types having longer legs and a scrawnier build, and so on.

     The wings are entirely non-flight-capable. Why they should develop such frankly bizarre structures, given their apparent uselessness, has baffled science, although there are such opinions as that they are for display over long distances, or for assisting balance in those tribes that reside in mountainous areas.

     The “external skull” is indeed bone, but it is a “secondary” skull; reinforcing the eye sockets and top of the head, it is tougher on males which participate in butting competitions in an attempt to win a female’s attention. The horns are hollow, and a rough gauge to the creature’s age – the longer the horn, the more mature the animal; they may grow up to a foot in length, but most adults will have usually died by this time.

     The “purple teeth” refers to the creatures’ like of all things sweet, particularly a highly staining purple berry available during autumn months. This purple stain is also used to mark the forehead, as shown in the image above, partly to mark out clan and partly to mark individual.

     Purpureodon have been nicknamed (predictably) “Boneheads” by the Coalition scientists working on the Beta. They tend to be a secretive species, on the whole, but some small bands have struck a deal, of a sort, with some science teams; it is often the botanists working out in mobile camps in the forest near them. The deal is an ingenious one; the purpureodon bring specimens of plants for study, and the botanists give them things like food or small trinkets in return, usually the small bright things that catch their helpers’ eyes. Rudiments of a sign language have also been the product of the association.