Mantaru - Original Species

TRIGGER WARNING: If depictions of internal organs trigger/unsettle you, do NOT look at image 2!

I'm back with a new original species ref! Once again, it's a spore creature of mine - one of my very first creations. I was like 14 back when I "invented" the Mantaru xD Here's what it looks like in the game:

It's said to be the size of a horse and have the strength of an elephant. Is that really the case? Well, Mantarus are pretty commonly domesticated by civilized species and often used as mounts; that means you can put a saddle on its back and ride it like a horse. They were specifically bred so that the Mantaru no longer has spikes on its back so the saddle would fit.

In the wild, Mantarus usually live in dry savannahs or mountainous regions. They are also highly adaptable and can live in many other biomes as well.

Their apperance reminds of a centaur! A Mantaru has six limbs, four of them are legs and two are arms. On its rear legs, it has paw-like feet but on its forelegs, it has hooves! The exact reason for this is unknown. On its head it has three horns, two bent keratin horns and one pointy bone horn on its forehead, just like a unicorn's horn! So yeah, the Mantaru is a kind of "crazy" creature.

A Mantaru has two hearts and two sets of lungs! For further details on the Mantaru's anatomy, check out the other images, 2 and 3!

Fun fact: You can feel its heartbeat by touching its back, because the main heart is located in its back, right where the spikes are.

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