Overview

Name: Ditos

Fauna Type: Beast

Mod Status: Self

Height: 5 meters

Length: 7 meters

Weight: 1500 pounds

Native Location: Southern Idalos

Meta-Location Found: Augiery and Surrounding Caves

Created By: Nymph

Habitat:

The ditos live in the underground caverns beneath the Southern Region. They claim large areas of the cavern. Anywhere from 2-4 dito will live in the same territory at any given point. This group consists of the mated pair and their growing offspring. When the offspring are old enough, they will journey through the cavern to establish their own territory and create their own family. Within their territory there are often large "farms" of fungi that the dito ingest.

Lifespan and Development:

Mothers tend to give birth to one or two eggs every 50-60 arcs. A female dito will give birth to 2-3 clutches before passing on. Once born, the dito will remain in the egg for a full arc. A young dito will emerge from the egg, hanging around its mother as it grows. It takes approximately 30-40 arcs before the creature will be fully grown. It relies on its parents to provide for most of its life. A grown dito will then leave the nuclear family to make room for the mother's next clutch. It will seek an area within the cavern to call its own. After establishing its territory, the dito will seek out a mate. These beasts mate for life; the loss of their loved one often causes severe depression of the one left behind. It is not uncommon for a dito to pass on due to starvation after losing its mate because they choose not to survive. It is a peculiar trait the Naerikk have noted.

The ditos are blind despite having large black eyes. Having been in darkness for many arcs, the creatures have not found use for sight. Instead, they have long tendrils that waves back and forth in front of their face. These tendrils act like fingers, sensing objects in front of their face. It is suspected that the creature can sense nutritional substances and moisture through these finger-like projections.

Population:

The Naerikk suspect there are only 25-30 of these creatures left within the cavern.

Diet:

Ditos eat fungus and small plants that cling to the roof of the cavern they preside in. They are mainly fungivores, it is not unheard of for them to suck a bat or two into their mouths during a meal.

Temperament:

A dito is a very peaceful creature when not provoked. They simply exist, choosing to occupy with drinking, eating, and sleeping. When provoked, they tend to attempt flight. Fighting is difficult for them as they are large, slow, and do not have physical features to use as weapons. If push comes to shove, they will attempt to smack a creature with their tail to buy themselves time to get away.

Abilities:

The fungus that the dito normally feed on are toxic to mortals and most other creatures within the cave. They have a special fermentation process within their hindgut that allows them to destroy the toxins and gain nutrients from the meat of the mushroom. Once enough fungus has been ingested, ditos will produce a pellet in their feces that is edible to mortals. These pellets are soft, spongy, and may be harvested. Known as "dito loaves", this form of food is often seen on Augierian naval ships during extended voyages due to the high calorie content.

Uses

Occasionally used as a food source