Name: Hippopotamus monstrous

Type: Mammal

Species: Hippo

Diet: Herbivore

Discovery: 2007

Color: Grayish pink

Home: Monster Island

Habitat: Flooded Valley

Population: Few dozen

This species of Hippopotamus can be found in Hippocampus Valley named after the 2007 discovery of the 3rd species of Hippopotamus known to humankind. This 3rd species of hippo is not directly related or derived from the African or pygmy breed of hippo but comes from Hexaprotodon sivalensis that lived from the late Pliocene to the late pleistocene, between those time a group of these hippos made their way to Monster Island somehow than over many generations found themselves trapped in a valley that today measured 12 miles long and 1.2 miles wide at the widest point while being 842 feet down. The majority of this valley is flooded with sparse area of grass and forest growth.

This valley is believed to have been cut off from the rest of the island but giant cliff walls for over 8 thousand years when it was believed to have been formed in the southeastern part of the island where the Richter scale has detected large earthquakes. This valley was discovered in the dense rainforest in 2007 by aerial drone, the reason its discovery came so late was due to the fact most of it was hidden by overhanging trees.

The valley is home to many native species of fish including carp and cichlids that has adapted to feed off parasites from the hippos. The evolution of the Hippo is different this eif Mainland Africa, rather they have evolved flat clipping teeth at the front of their jaw that jud out to help the hippo feed on small aquatic plants and Algaes in the water. Not only dental structure but size has change to adapt to food shortages, as this species of hippos is only slightly larger than that if the African Pygmy Hippo; about 6 feet in length and 4 feet in height.

These hippos being cut off from the rest of the continent have no natural predators or composition as they are the only aquatic and land based mammal in the valley, this had lead to the evolution of their gestation period, it lasts for a surprising 2 years and these hippos only give birth twice in their whole lives. This leaves them both at their max population and an endangered species.

Permanent watch has been issued for the valley in case a rescue is eminent, if a change in environment or a kaiju wonders and falls into the valley, 3 males and 3 females will be rescued and taken to the monster holding physicality on a smaller island off the coast of Monster Island.

10 after common human extinction.

A warm summer day falls over the Island of Sicily. An adult male cyclops walks along the shore of Sicily, its lumbering size and steps catching the attention of a Sea Serpent.

The Serpent inches toward the humanoid. Testing its boundary, luckily for it, the cyclops has terrible vision allowing the snake to become incredibly close but still hidden in the sea water, only when the cyclops notices the gigantic 50 foot shape in the eater does it begin to stumble back, this gives the serpent a food response, it lungest out of the water and wraps around its pillar legs, the cyclops responds by thrashing its upper body and pounding its fists into the snakes coils, the grip tightens more and more as the snake looks for a space to get a permanent bite, of ot does that means the end for the cyclops but the cyclops grabs a 200 pound log from the sandy ground and uses it like a club, smashing it against the serpents face as the cyclops other hand pulls and tears at the serpents flesh and scales. The low gurgling scream of the cyclops echoes across the water and into the valleys. Unfortunately the snake tightens its coils and bites into the neck and shoulder, asphyxiating the beast, it falls with a thud the serpent is left with a meal almost too large to swallow.

A Palaeophis colossus relative is thought the be one of the real life culprit of the common Sea Serpent sighting, many sightings during the modern age of humans reported sea monsters similar to snakes but gigantic, being between 15-100 feet long in some reports. The fossil snake only known from a single vertebra but its size estimate is around 30 feet, other fossils from related species show that Palaeophis may have been endothermic based on the growth and feeding habits which was possible too fast for a cold blooded reptile. Palaeophis colossus is believed by most of the paleontific community to have gone extinct 33 million years ago at the end of the Eocene apoc. But other paleontologists and cryptozoologist believe that Palaeophis may be what sailors and tourists alike call the Sea Serpent due to its size, its aquatic nature and it's possible endothermic nature which would explain sightings of sea serpents in colder area of the world. After the extinction of the Homo sapien the fish stocks of the world no longer be overfished and after a few years pollution from nuclear run off or oil would ceases the ocean explode with life sending aquatic populations back to what it was like before ancient advanced humans began commercial fishing. This growth in population means more food for any potential predatory sea monsters and their population would grow as well. By 10 years after homo sapiens, Palaeophis are growing in number, while still rare and only numbering in the hundreds or low thousands, they are becoming more and more common. The warm beaches around Sicily may be a perfect ground for inland hunting.

In the time of humans the island numbered at over 5 million but only one biological humanoid calls this island home. During the end of the pleistocene age around 10 thousand years ago humans may have arrived to the island as cave art over 8 thousand years old has been discovered created by the Proto-Sicanians. But could it be that another form of human arrived to the island even earlier during the peak of the Pleistocene age, using the shallower seas to cross to Sicily or may have been a native longer than this. This theoretical humanoid is what's commonly known as the Cyclops, a figure often appearing in Greek mythology, a cannibalistic monster that posses one eye in the center of its head and was known for making great weapons with magical abilities.

It's now common belief that the idea of the cyclops I merged from skulls of ancient elephants discovered in the time of the Ancient Greeks and Roman Empire, this is backed up by the existence of Palaeoloxodon falconeri fossils from Sicily. But I'd there any chance that the cyclops is actually a relative of the giant. A form of human species that can grow up to 15 feet tall.

Unlike its mainland relatives it's possible that cyclops could have adapted a lifestyle like that of a large herbivores feeding on subtropical plant species. Sicily’s fauna is mostly small animals the largest being the deer which is now probably extinct on the island. So the Giant would have to adapt because of their large size, instead of shrinking they may have become herbivores.

Large elephantine feet and pillar legs hold a creature that may weight up to a thousand or more pounds. Too account for their giant size their arms grew less muscle mass but grew in length to help grab higher tree leaves much like a megatherium. They grew a thicker bone structure but their skull shrank due to having no natural predators to worry about and to use less energy to have the heart force more blood flow through the brain.

Through the ages it's possible a genetic defect causing one central eye to occur in the prehistoric cyclops. If this one genetic defeat was not a stillborn and lived to adult hoods it possible its gene spread to another and another generation eventually creating of the first race of The Cyclops.

Predator free it's possible when the first home sapians came to island, they reacted with curiosity and intreegment only to be met with spears and stone weapons. Over the years the cyclops population would have diminished from it's already small size eventually only a fee could have been left. They learned to avoid humans all throughout the human history. Living in the island valleys mountains and cave. If they survived the early human era than the modern age until the home sapian extinctions they would eventually learn that the island is once again theirs but heavily changed. Crumbling builds some skyscrapers now litter the land along with non native fruits and berries which cyclops easily take a liking too. They learn to avoid the invasive cactus species and are large enough to be avoided by dogs that now roam the island along with Sicily’s native wolves.