Acrochor
Acrochors are a species of predatory snakes from the volcanic planet Nejeor V that have also been introduced by the ancient kishalee to Nejeor VI.1
Appearance
Acrochors usually grow up to 8 to 12 feet in length and almost 1 foot in diameter. They are red and black with tough, knobby skin and visual sensors that can see well in darkness. Acrochors' mouths are filled with sharp teeth, located on the undersides of their bodies, and are often closed except when attacking.1
Ecology
Acrochors hunt small prey like the mammalian knuggs or raid the nests of jaexus birds for eggs. When attacking, they first bite into prey by lashing out at surprising speed, then constricting around and suffocating their victim until it's dead. Acrochors can easily digest both fresh meat and carrion, and often spend a few days devouring the corpse if they take down big prey.1
After mating, an acrochor lays eggs at warm places and eats as much food and volcanic glass as it can during the next day, then hibernate near the eggs until they hatch after a few months. The volcanic glass is slowly dissolved by the sleeping acrochor's stomach acids, providing it with minerals. Hibernating acrochors remain alert, waking up as soon as the eggs are disturbed or hatch.1
The acrochors captured by the kishalee and introduced to Nejeor VI were originally housed in temperature-controlled habitats in wildlife parks. After kishalee civilisation collapsed, they escaped and moved to the bowels of kishalee floating cities, living off energy conduits. The kish, primitive descendants of the kishalee, sometimes hunt them for their hides, but not their meat, which is too tough to eat.1
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 . “Alien Archives” in The Ruined Clouds, 55. Paizo Inc., 2018