Kaas Ripper

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Kaas Rippers

Swarm
Information
Natural Habitat: Kargaan Vale
Classification: Lizard
Average Size: 3ft from snout to tail
Average Weight: 1-2lbs
Coloring: Green/gray, bright coloration on frill
Distinguishing Features: Sharp teeth, frilled head


These lizards are vicious little beasts who use a frill of skin to make themselves look more imposing. Part of the display is rushing towards a perceived enemy, with the frill up, while reared up on their hind legs and hissing. Their teeth are small but sharp but they're still a favorite of children to harass.

Description

The Kaas Ripper is a small lizard with a large ruff of skin that lays normally folded back against it's neck and head. When the creature is attacking, frightened, or feeding the frill flips up to make it look larger and more intimidating. The frill of the lizard is supported by long spines of cartilage which flex and make the frill stand upright about its face. The rest of the lizard is rather plain, all of the body and frill are grey or green tones and the skin is like that of a snake, cool and soft, velvety almost. It has a long tail which it uses to wrap about limbs of trees to keep it stationary.

Habitat

Kaas Rippers normally inhabit wooded areas in the Kargaan Vale, though these lizards will follow their prey for vast distances once there is a scent of blood. They are most comfortable within trees, laying their eggs at the base of the tree and protecting them from a height. Though the lizard will live primarily in wooded areas it is not uncommon to see a pack of them that have made their home in an area that is primarily grass.

Breeding Habits

Though the male and the female Kaas are generally much the same in appearance, the male being slightly larger, it doesn't seem to cause any problems in terms of mating. Kaas Rippers are a prolific beast, mating in the early wet season before the cold and the clutches of eggs are laid a couple of months after that in numbers of anywhere from 6 - 25 eggs.

The male ripper will normally use the spreading of its frill in a kind of mating dance for the females who cluster together, the mating habits of the lizard are normally particularly violent. A male ripper will spread its frill at the group of females, depending on his performance a number of them will attack him and the one that is victoriously able to drag the male away is the one to carry his eggs. The eggs laid are protected, normally being laid and covered in a circular area with the adult rippers lingering in trees above to supervise. People that have stumbled into a circle of ripper egg protecting trees normally do not come back out.

Other Characteristics

There is a horror story in the Kargaan Vale about the Kaas Ripper; a traveler cuts through the deep woods when he sees a small, sharp-toothed lizard following him. He kicks it away but he soon sees two more, then three more after that and soon, he is chased down and consumed by a ravenous swarm of raptors in miniature. Because of the nature of the pack or swarm attack of these lizards, they make for ferocious hunters and because once they have a taste for the blood of their prey they will follow them for great distances the lizard has become feared and commonly there are attempts made to wipe out packs of them as they are found.