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Description

Ankyloranodon: One of the hardiest herbivores that frequents the Cloud Plateau, Ankyloranodon are also one of the most unique. Believed to have become isolated by the plateau’s volcanism, this creature’s ancestor was a member of the ankylosauridae clade. The mutational rates of the plateau, accelerated by increased radiation from the bowels of the island, have evolved them into armored flyers. Their biolithic armor is riddled with crystalline honeycombs, reducing weight without sacrificing strength. These creatures usually graze solitarily among the slopes and forests surrounding the plateau, but they gather into a huge colony to nest. Among the fiery mists of their home, the only major threats to these territorial animals are Slurpasaurs. Wingspan: 20 to 25 feet.

Tree Freak: These large mischievous arachnids were originally interpreted as highly derived spiders. More recent analysis, though, has found them to be late-surviving members of the clade Uraraneida, a sister group to true spiders. They do not spin webs, only using the silk produced along its ventral abdomen to construct nests of leaves and twigs. These nests are only temporary, as Tree Freaks are nomadic foragers, hunting for smaller animals as well as sweet fruits and flowers. Their prehensile tails, or flagellums, and elongated foremost pair of legs along them to swing through dense canopies with ease. Coated in iridescent hairs, they are fond of showing off to each other, possibly over food or mating rights, or as a form of communication. Tree Freaks, though they can be unwittingly destructive and very annoying when curious, are rarely dangerous to larger creatures, relying on their agility and high reproductive rates to evade predators. They have a habit of depositing silk-wrapped batches of eggs within emptied fruit carapaces, then fitting them back together and leaving them hanging on branches. If consumed by an herbivore before hatching, the eggs can pass harmlessly through the digestive track until deposited in a new patch of forest. Sometimes, though, the eggs hatch within the fruit, and the young may stay inside for some time before exiting. A common annoyance for many herbivores of the island is to bite into a fallen fruit, only to unleash a nest of hyperactive eight-legged Freaks. Length: 3 to 4 feet.

River Whale: The waterways of Skull Island are home to a variety of dangerous lifeforms. Among the exceptions to this rule are River Whales, so named because, despite their appearance, molecular analysis has found them to be mysticetes, or baleen whales. While many other kaiju of the island exhibit gigantism, River Whales are an example of insular dwarfism. While they possess spiked tongues to grip the occasional fish, most of their food is filtered from the island’s nutrient and plankton-rich waters, particularly around the Flooded Forest and Ever Falls region. Their flippers have developed extendable membranes to enable them to glide along waterfalls whenever they are crossed. They live in close family pods and are very gentle towards most other creatures. When threatened, they can emit a hypersonic frequency that can be painful for most predators. Length: 5 to 8 feet.

Death Jackal: Despite their name, it isn’t entirely certain what these vicious hypervores’ ancestors were. It is suggested they are a heavily mutated offshoot of the same lineage that produced creatures like Andrewsarchus on the mainland. These brutes are congregate in large gatherings that cannot readily be called packs due to the lack of any real cooperation and the tendency of the creatures to turn on one another at the first sign of weakness. Their excellent sense of smell can draw them to carcasses like flies, though they will also readily attack any vulnerable prey they stumble across. Sometimes, scavenging parties can escalate into cannibalistic feeding frenzies, wherein they will even begin to consume their own body parts. Their hyper-accelerated metabolism allows them to quickly regenerate lost appendages should they survive such frenzies. Length: 12 to 17 feet.

Sunflan Vine: These carnivorous plants can be found all across the island. Their primary bodies resemble large creeper vines that rapidly (for a plant) inch their way across the trees in search of ideal places to await prey, usually a large overhanging branch near areas where large florafauna regularly pass by. When a target is sensed moving leisurely beneath via vibrations and simple light-sensitive cells, Sunflan’s feeding vines will uncoil and descend silently, seeking out the softest joints in the target’s hide. Each vine’s modified leaves will secrete an anesthetic to numb the victim while its spines extract blood. This is why this stealthy floral opportunist is also known as the Vampire Plant. They one creature the plant will not drink from is the Whip Sloth, with which it symbiotically deposits its seeds, which give extra protection to the herbivore as they mature while they are transported to new areas. Reach: 20 to 50 feet.

Megaconda: Ton for ton, these are among the most massive snakes of Skull Island aside from the occasional visit by Manda. Indeterminate growers, they waste very little of what they consume, and can soon attain huge proportions. Such efficient metabolisms fortunately make them very sluggish most of the time as they digest their meals. Once their hunger arises once more, however, they can be relentless in the pursuit of prey. After that prey is caught underneath their crushing coils or between their enormous maws, there is little chance of escape. Several clawed tongues will pull the victim into the highly elastic gullet as the whole skull unhinges and flexes. Then they will seek out a dark corner of the swamps to brood until their next feeding cycle. 100 to 260 feet.

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Creature Inspirations:
Ankyloranodon: Jurassic Park: Chaos Effect toy line 1998.
Tree Freak: Eight Legged Freaks 2002.
River Whale: Small freshwater whales mentioned in Pellucidar novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
Death Jackal: Foetodon of King Kong 2005, and Death Jackals of Skull Island: The Birth of Kong comic 2017.
Sunflan Vine: Sunflan of Ultraman 1966, and Vampire Plants of Mothra 1961.
Megaconda: Giant snake of King Kong 1976.
Additional ideas by Lediblock2. Thank you as always. 😊

Description

Ankyloranodon: One of the hardiest herbivores that frequents the Cloud Plateau, Ankyloranodon are also one of the most unique. Believed to have become isolated by the plateau’s volcanism, this creature’s ancestor was a member of the ankylosauridae clade. The mutational rates of the plateau, accelerated by increased radiation from the bowels of the island, have evolved them into armored flyers. Their biolithic armor is riddled with crystalline honeycombs, reducing weight without sacrificing strength. These creatures usually graze solitarily among the slopes and forests surrounding the plateau, but they gather into a huge colony to nest. Among the fiery mists of their home, the only major threats to these territorial animals are Slurpasaurs. Wingspan: 20 to 25 feet.

Tree Freak: These large mischievous arachnids were originally interpreted as highly derived spiders. More recent analysis, though, has found them to be late-surviving members of the clade Uraraneida, a sister group to true spiders. They do not spin webs, only using the silk produced along its ventral abdomen to construct nests of leaves and twigs. These nests are only temporary, as Tree Freaks are nomadic foragers, hunting for smaller animals as well as sweet fruits and flowers. Their prehensile tails, or flagellums, and elongated foremost pair of legs along them to swing through dense canopies with ease. Coated in iridescent hairs, they are fond of showing off to each other, possibly over food or mating rights, or as a form of communication. Tree Freaks, though they can be unwittingly destructive and very annoying when curious, are rarely dangerous to larger creatures, relying on their agility and high reproductive rates to evade predators. They have a habit of depositing silk-wrapped batches of eggs within emptied fruit carapaces, then fitting them back together and leaving them hanging on branches. If consumed by an herbivore before hatching, the eggs can pass harmlessly through the digestive track until deposited in a new patch of forest. Sometimes, though, the eggs hatch within the fruit, and the young may stay inside for some time before exiting. A common annoyance for many herbivores of the island is to bite into a fallen fruit, only to unleash a nest of hyperactive eight-legged Freaks. Length: 3 to 4 feet.

River Whale: The waterways of Skull Island are home to a variety of dangerous lifeforms. Among the exceptions to this rule are River Whales, so named because, despite their appearance, molecular analysis has found them to be mysticetes, or baleen whales. While many other kaiju of the island exhibit gigantism, River Whales are an example of insular dwarfism. While they possess spiked tongues to grip the occasional fish, most of their food is filtered from the island’s nutrient and plankton-rich waters, particularly around the Flooded Forest and Ever Falls region. Their flippers have developed extendable membranes to enable them to glide along waterfalls whenever they are crossed. They live in close family pods and are very gentle towards most other creatures. When threatened, they can emit a hypersonic frequency that can be painful for most predators. Length: 5 to 8 feet.

Death Jackal: Despite their name, it isn’t entirely certain what these vicious hypervores’ ancestors were. It is suggested they are a heavily mutated offshoot of the same lineage that produced creatures like Andrewsarchus on the mainland. These brutes are congregate in large gatherings that cannot readily be called packs due to the lack of any real cooperation and the tendency of the creatures to turn on one another at the first sign of weakness. Their excellent sense of smell can draw them to carcasses like flies, though they will also readily attack any vulnerable prey they stumble across. Sometimes, scavenging parties can escalate into cannibalistic feeding frenzies, wherein they will even begin to consume their own body parts. Their hyper-accelerated metabolism allows them to quickly regenerate lost appendages should they survive such frenzies. Length: 12 to 17 feet.

Sunflan Vine: These carnivorous plants can be found all across the island. Their primary bodies resemble large creeper vines that rapidly (for a plant) inch their way across the trees in search of ideal places to await prey, usually a large overhanging branch near areas where large florafauna regularly pass by. When a target is sensed moving leisurely beneath via vibrations and simple light-sensitive cells, Sunflan’s feeding vines will uncoil and descend silently, seeking out the softest joints in the target’s hide. Each vine’s modified leaves will secrete an anesthetic to numb the victim while its spines extract blood. This is why this stealthy floral opportunist is also known as the Vampire Plant. They one creature the plant will not drink from is the Whip Sloth, with which it symbiotically deposits its seeds, which give extra protection to the herbivore as they mature while they are transported to new areas. Reach: 20 to 50 feet.

Megaconda: Ton for ton, these are among the most massive snakes of Skull Island aside from the occasional visit by Manda. Indeterminate growers, they waste very little of what they consume, and can soon attain huge proportions. Such efficient metabolisms fortunately make them very sluggish most of the time as they digest their meals. Once their hunger arises once more, however, they can be relentless in the pursuit of prey. After that prey is caught underneath their crushing coils or between their enormous maws, there is little chance of escape. Several clawed tongues will pull the victim into the highly elastic gullet as the whole skull unhinges and flexes. Then they will seek out a dark corner of the swamps to brood until their next feeding cycle. 100 to 260 feet.

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

Creature Inspirations:
Ankyloranodon: Jurassic Park: Chaos Effect toy line 1998.
Tree Freak: Eight Legged Freaks 2002.
River Whale: Small freshwater whales mentioned in Pellucidar novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
Death Jackal: Foetodon of King Kong 2005, and Death Jackals of Skull Island: The Birth of Kong comic 2017.
Sunflan Vine: Sunflan of Ultraman 1966, and Vampire Plants of Mothra 1961.
Megaconda: Giant snake of King Kong 1976.
Additional ideas by Lediblock2. Thank you as always. 😊