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Description
If you were to explore the coastal shores and estuaries, you may spot something within the shallows. A big bulky shape, one as large as a bull, but covered in plated armor. A great beast drifting through the weeds and sand. Some would be frightened by such a sight, as they believe it to be some horrible leviathan. These folk, however, would be wrong in their assumption, for this creature is hardly a monster. The beast they are observing cares only for grazing, and its lazy pace would make a turtle impatient. The animal I am referring to is the Tethea, a large aquatic herbivore that can be found in tropical waters, mainly in coastal rivers, mangrove swamps and estuaries. Despite their scaly looking hides, Tethea are mammals. Their bodies have adapted to an aquatic lifestyle, though they still require air to breath. Their internal anatomy allows them to remain underwater for long periods of time, only coming up for air about every 20 minutes. Though they can be intimidating looking, these creatures feed only on underwater vegetation. This food grows mainly from the bottom of the water, so that is where you will mostly find them. Their flippers will push them across the sand and silt, while their special lips help tear up vegetation. The armor found of their foreheads also possess a plow-like scoop, which they use to clear away muck to get to the buried goodies! Most of their life is spent on the bottom of whatever water body they inhabit, only rising to the surface to breathe or check out curious sights. While this is mainly because their food is down there, it is also a pretty good defensive position!

Any large animal filled with meat and blubber is sure to catch the attention of predators. A hefty meal like that would fill many bellies, so there are those who try to feed on the Tethea. Their thick armor, though, serves as a good deterrent. By sitting on the bottom, their exposed bellies are protected, while the rest of their body is coated in a thick shell. Tooth and claw can hardly penetrate these defenses, so many may get frustrated and leave. If the predators target young calves, the adults may choose to use their heavy bodies to ram the attackers and drive them off. This method of defense is good, but it isn't perfect. Smart predators may know that the Tethea need to reach the surface to breath, so they may hang around and wait for this moment. When forced up for air, their underbellies are exposed, and the foe may strike then. In other cases, going after a calf can lure an adult out of their defensive position, allowing others to flank them and attack. In the end, though, a full grown adult is rarely messed with. The only thing these creatures have to fear are humans and other coastal settlers. Taking down a Tethea brings in a lot of meat and blubber, so many hunters find them a prime target. I have heard stories of Wompogos attacking and swallowing younger Tethea, but this can be risky for them. Devouring one of these creatures in deep water may leave them open to attack by nearby adults, and the feline's claws are useless against their armor. The real issue, though, is if they misjudge their meal and eat something too big for them to handle! These same stories tell of people finding dead Wompogo on the bottom of estuaries, their heavy meal sinking them and leaving them to drown. That is quite the final meal!

Though Tethea are rather laid backed herbivores, there are some instances that have given them an interesting reputation. As I mentioned above, Tethea use their thick armor and mass to ram into attackers and scare off predators. This same technique is also seen during the breeding season. When it comes time to find a mate, male Tethea get a bit aggressive and territorial, especially toward other males. As a way of claiming a female and warding off other males, they will duel. They will ram themselves into each other, looking to drive off those who would challenge them. The fight mainly consists of the two duelist slowly circling one another, looking for a chance to launch themselves forward and deliver a stunning blow. There are plenty of head on collisions, and often the victor will knock the loser belly up. Those that get flipped over take this as a loss and they swim off to find a different female (preferably one that is not guarded by a stronger male!). While I did make this duel sound exciting and impressive, it plays out much slower than you would expect. Even when fighting over a female, they don't swim all that fast, though they still pack quite a punch!

Now the reason I diverged down this path while trying to explain their reputation is because males can get a bit territorial during the breeding season. Anything that resembles or reminds them of a competing male will get them riled up, and they will prepare to fight. Unfortunately, their sight isn't that great, so this often means that they will go after anything remotely their size and shape. One such thing that gets their attention is boats. Rowboats, sail boats, fishing dinghies, you name it. Any small water craft that may travel these rivers and estuaries can confuse them, and cause them to think that they are bigger males. The result is them attempting to ram these boats to show dominance, not knowing that said opponent wants no part of this duel. Though they are slow, their attack can easily rock a ship and even capsize smaller crafts. Attempts to get these males to stop are not likely to work, as they will interpret any attack or noise as the opponent fighting back. The only way to get them to disengage is to flee, preferably away from the female they are claiming. That, or your boat will flip over and the Tethea will think it has won. Thankfully, these creatures care not for meat, nor do they look to go for the kill. If you get thrown into the water, they will not try to harm you. Such small skinny things are not threat to them, so they will leave you be. So at most, these attacks are an inconvenience, resulting in people losing some gear and receiving wet clothes instead. For a land dryad like me, getting dunked in saltwater is quite dangerous, so these attacks can lead to unintentional harm. In the end, though, they do not seek to hurt or kill. Regardless, people have dubbed them "Sea Bulls" and "Battering Rams of the Sea."

If you pay attention to the season and take note of Tethea territory, you can easily avoid these encounters. Also, be wary of locals who may jokingly send you out into Tethea waters as a prank. For outsiders and fools, they like to recommend waterways that take them straight through Tethea breeding grounds, resulting in much amusement and hilarity. Thankfully, I was knowledgeable enough to avoid falling for this! But now that I mention it...perhaps my demon pals may like to go boating when they come to visit the surface. Hmmmm! Now there's an idea!

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

----------------------------------------------------

This species came from Lediblock2 , who was giving me some ideas on mammalian species a long time ago. They suggested an armored manatee that rammed things, so here is my interpretation! I kind of gave it one of those old timey sea monster looks, with the plated hide and the chunky body.

Description
If you were to explore the coastal shores and estuaries, you may spot something within the shallows. A big bulky shape, one as large as a bull, but covered in plated armor. A great beast drifting through the weeds and sand. Some would be frightened by such a sight, as they believe it to be some horrible leviathan. These folk, however, would be wrong in their assumption, for this creature is hardly a monster. The beast they are observing cares only for grazing, and its lazy pace would make a turtle impatient. The animal I am referring to is the Tethea, a large aquatic herbivore that can be found in tropical waters, mainly in coastal rivers, mangrove swamps and estuaries. Despite their scaly looking hides, Tethea are mammals. Their bodies have adapted to an aquatic lifestyle, though they still require air to breath. Their internal anatomy allows them to remain underwater for long periods of time, only coming up for air about every 20 minutes. Though they can be intimidating looking, these creatures feed only on underwater vegetation. This food grows mainly from the bottom of the water, so that is where you will mostly find them. Their flippers will push them across the sand and silt, while their special lips help tear up vegetation. The armor found of their foreheads also possess a plow-like scoop, which they use to clear away muck to get to the buried goodies! Most of their life is spent on the bottom of whatever water body they inhabit, only rising to the surface to breathe or check out curious sights. While this is mainly because their food is down there, it is also a pretty good defensive position!

Any large animal filled with meat and blubber is sure to catch the attention of predators. A hefty meal like that would fill many bellies, so there are those who try to feed on the Tethea. Their thick armor, though, serves as a good deterrent. By sitting on the bottom, their exposed bellies are protected, while the rest of their body is coated in a thick shell. Tooth and claw can hardly penetrate these defenses, so many may get frustrated and leave. If the predators target young calves, the adults may choose to use their heavy bodies to ram the attackers and drive them off. This method of defense is good, but it isn't perfect. Smart predators may know that the Tethea need to reach the surface to breath, so they may hang around and wait for this moment. When forced up for air, their underbellies are exposed, and the foe may strike then. In other cases, going after a calf can lure an adult out of their defensive position, allowing others to flank them and attack. In the end, though, a full grown adult is rarely messed with. The only thing these creatures have to fear are humans and other coastal settlers. Taking down a Tethea brings in a lot of meat and blubber, so many hunters find them a prime target. I have heard stories of Wompogos attacking and swallowing younger Tethea, but this can be risky for them. Devouring one of these creatures in deep water may leave them open to attack by nearby adults, and the feline's claws are useless against their armor. The real issue, though, is if they misjudge their meal and eat something too big for them to handle! These same stories tell of people finding dead Wompogo on the bottom of estuaries, their heavy meal sinking them and leaving them to drown. That is quite the final meal!

Though Tethea are rather laid backed herbivores, there are some instances that have given them an interesting reputation. As I mentioned above, Tethea use their thick armor and mass to ram into attackers and scare off predators. This same technique is also seen during the breeding season. When it comes time to find a mate, male Tethea get a bit aggressive and territorial, especially toward other males. As a way of claiming a female and warding off other males, they will duel. They will ram themselves into each other, looking to drive off those who would challenge them. The fight mainly consists of the two duelist slowly circling one another, looking for a chance to launch themselves forward and deliver a stunning blow. There are plenty of head on collisions, and often the victor will knock the loser belly up. Those that get flipped over take this as a loss and they swim off to find a different female (preferably one that is not guarded by a stronger male!). While I did make this duel sound exciting and impressive, it plays out much slower than you would expect. Even when fighting over a female, they don't swim all that fast, though they still pack quite a punch!

Now the reason I diverged down this path while trying to explain their reputation is because males can get a bit territorial during the breeding season. Anything that resembles or reminds them of a competing male will get them riled up, and they will prepare to fight. Unfortunately, their sight isn't that great, so this often means that they will go after anything remotely their size and shape. One such thing that gets their attention is boats. Rowboats, sail boats, fishing dinghies, you name it. Any small water craft that may travel these rivers and estuaries can confuse them, and cause them to think that they are bigger males. The result is them attempting to ram these boats to show dominance, not knowing that said opponent wants no part of this duel. Though they are slow, their attack can easily rock a ship and even capsize smaller crafts. Attempts to get these males to stop are not likely to work, as they will interpret any attack or noise as the opponent fighting back. The only way to get them to disengage is to flee, preferably away from the female they are claiming. That, or your boat will flip over and the Tethea will think it has won. Thankfully, these creatures care not for meat, nor do they look to go for the kill. If you get thrown into the water, they will not try to harm you. Such small skinny things are not threat to them, so they will leave you be. So at most, these attacks are an inconvenience, resulting in people losing some gear and receiving wet clothes instead. For a land dryad like me, getting dunked in saltwater is quite dangerous, so these attacks can lead to unintentional harm. In the end, though, they do not seek to hurt or kill. Regardless, people have dubbed them "Sea Bulls" and "Battering Rams of the Sea."

If you pay attention to the season and take note of Tethea territory, you can easily avoid these encounters. Also, be wary of locals who may jokingly send you out into Tethea waters as a prank. For outsiders and fools, they like to recommend waterways that take them straight through Tethea breeding grounds, resulting in much amusement and hilarity. Thankfully, I was knowledgeable enough to avoid falling for this! But now that I mention it...perhaps my demon pals may like to go boating when they come to visit the surface. Hmmmm! Now there's an idea!

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

----------------------------------------------------

This species came from Lediblock2 , who was giving me some ideas on mammalian species a long time ago. They suggested an armored manatee that rammed things, so here is my interpretation! I kind of gave it one of those old timey sea monster looks, with the plated hide and the chunky body.