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Pythosart — Arrowtongue
Published: 2012-08-21 04:01:16 +0000 UTC; Views: 24624; Favourites: 761; Downloads: 205
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Description
Creature concept!This one is a nectar eater. The feathery bit on the end of the proboscis is used to collect sweet nectar from large flowers (that I have a design for and will submit later). The proboscis is also tipped with a hardened barb that can be used as a weapon. The headshot above shows the tongue in its retracted position. It would be coiled behind the vent.
What appears to be a mouth on the front of the head is actually a vent of sorts, allowing the creature to strain pollen out of the air as it breathes.
The creature has powerful hind legs and large feet, allowing it to run fast and over long distances. It uses its front appendages to balance itself as it runs. The shoulder flaps and forelimbs are also used in aggressive mating displays, in which the large females charge and slam their heads into each other until one is killed or incapacitated. The creatures are otherwise fairly peaceful herd animals.
I'm calling it "Arrowtongue" for now, since it was sort of inspired by a creature of the same name from some speculative space exploration documentary called "Alien Planet". I highly recommend checking it out.
Videos for the full body: Lines [link] and Color [link]
The headshot was done in Sketchbook, and I didn't record it.
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Comments: 51
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similar to the one in this video?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmlkhT…
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Incredible. Looks biologically plausible as well. Loving the colour scheme.
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Great creature concept, i have a similiar one which i called "Hooktongue", mine is carnivorous though :3 Faved!
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Great concept design! And yeah... it has nothing to do with Barlowe's Arrowtongue...
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This is beautiful! I love the head design and those flaps along the arms!
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Thank you! I need to work on this guy again, actually.
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is this a re-design of the Arrowtonge from Darwin 4?
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No, I just used that name for lack of a better one.
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oh wow! I'm loving this concept, and that ridiculous sloped snout |D
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Thank you! I'm glad you like it.
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The design looks awesome and the body's functions sound interesting. Does the creature have eyes and/or nostrils?
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It's eyeless. The thing that looks like a mouth is actually a vent, used for respiration, scenting the air, and trapping pollen to be eaten later.
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I see! How does the creature then sense it's aroundings if it can't see?
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Many ways. Sound, scent, heat signatures... The vent could double as a "pit", similar to what many snakes have.
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What prevents it to trip into inanimate objects while running? I don't think rocks can be heard, smelled or heat-sensed?
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Inanimate objects have a heat signature too. Put your hand on a rock and then on a tree. There's a big difference in temp. And if it's sunny out, the shadows will be considerably cooler. Same with water, etc.
Here's what a thermal camera picks up: [link]
And similar to what a pit viper sees [link]
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Right, now I remember! You're right, they too charge some warmth from the sun and wood/rock derive warmth differently. 
I still can't grasp how navigating with heat sensors work though. I don't even understand how they work generally *blames the language barrier*. But the subject is interesting and I'll try look into it!
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Well, those videos I provided show how a snake's heat sensors work. Snakes do have eyes, but those eyes aren't particularly useful at night or through thick vegetation. The thermal camera they use in the snake video is a military thermal camera (of the sort they have on Predator drones and such), and apparently the snake's thermal vision is considerably more powerful and precise. I'd imagine with that kind of hardware a creature could "see" very well.
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Fantastic creature concept! Looks very original and alien. I especially like the head.
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i have that dvd and itts awesome! i also like this re design of the arrow tongue!
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It was a great watch, for sure!
It's not a redesign. That name is just a placeholder until I come up with a more appropriate one. The Arrowtongue and my creature are really very different, in both form and function.
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oh ok so its in stand by mode for now XD
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I saw this in the popular section lD so congratulations! The design is really cool. I like the specialised head and flamingo like filters. How big is it?
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Wow, that was fast. I guess that's what happens when something is accepted into the #FutureZoology gallery XD
Thanks! I'd say it's about the size of a cow, but lighter. More like an ostrich or kangaroo.
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Your creature designs are always exotic and a little bizarre (in the wonderfulest way, of course) and yet still believable and could probably exist if the world decided to be that awesome. I love the dinosaur+shark+hummingbird mutant look
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(Wayne Douglas Barlowe's "Expedition". Sorry, I'm just a big fan of his and your works and the book happens to be sitting right next to me right now.)
Excellent design, by the way. I hope I'm not belittling that point.
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Thanks! Someone else mentioned it to me, and I have every intention of finding a copy when I have the money. I loved the documentary and the art on Barlowe's website is gorgeous.
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The documentary was called Alien Planet. It is based on the book Expedition by Wayne Barlowe. I never saw Alien Planet, but the artwork in the book is gorgeous.
Used copies are available from Amazon starting at $44.95+ shipping (there's one in excellent shape for $53.92 + $3.99 shipping!).
You can see Barlowe's arrowtongue--a vicious, jawless predator--on Barlowe's website.
HTH
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That's the first thing I thought before reading the description and this comment. I loved that show when it first aired. It blew my mind about alien life.
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THANK YOU. I would so buy that book if I had the cash to spare. Alas I do not, but I will keep it in mind!
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Try checking with your local library. If they don't have it themselves, they may be able to arrange a loan from another one that does.
My day job is Interlibrary Loan Assistant.
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I had a look, and they don't have it anywhere in the county. Shame. I'll find it eventually.
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Where are you? Are you in the US?
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I'm in the Midwest, Indiana southeast of Chicago.
I'm surprised your library doesn't offer interlibrary loan at least for your state; mine allows you to borrow across the country, and we are neither large nor rich.
Tony
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Well, my library system is just in the county. Not sure why, actually.
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