False Kirins

For 's creature creating contest.

I followed mostly the primary requirements, but substituted or blended some secondary choices as well.

STORY/BACKGROUND TIME
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The False Kirin are named as such because, upon first glance, the creatures bear some superficial similarities to the Kirin or Ki-Lin creature of Chinese myth, particularly in their strange embodiment of the concepts of Yin and Yang. They are also large, standing between four and six feet tall at the shoulders, and surprisingly light on their feet, reaching maximum recorded speeds of up to sixty miles per hour. Unlike their mythical counterparts, however, these creatures feed primarily on blood, which is sucked through the hollow fangs that can be seen on any individual of the species.

The "armor" that covers their backs appears to be an evolutionary adaptation to protect the growing species from the enormous avian predators that lurk in the tall trees of the coniferous forests they call home. It is made of chitin, and, while not especially strong by human standards, is more than enough to repel the first strike of a predator and allow the False Kirin to beat a hasty retreat. This armor is also fairly reflective, and has a pearlescent sheen under the right lighting conditions.

Males tend to be darker than females on the whole, as melanin production appears to be linked directly to the presence of testosterone production; the only exception is the tail. The eye color of both genders ranges along a spectrum from shining jet black to brilliant silver, and the eyes themselves are startlingly human-like. The two False Kirins featured here are "ideal" members of their respective genders, but such ideals rarely exist in nature. Thus, the False Kirin species as a whole falls along a spectrum of grey tones, with females tending to be lighter and males tending to be darker. Because of this trend in coloration, males tend to be more active at night while the females hunt in broad daylight, using their bright armor plates to lure prey. Since males and females have such different activity times, a mated pair is especially effective in staying healthy, fit, and well-fed; False Kirins rarely socialize with one another outside of the mated pair, as there is much competition in the forest to remain adequately fed.

Females lay one egg per "season," which can vary from every year to every three years depending on the success of the foal. The young are born without armor and have perfectly smooth grey skin from head to toe, and develop their dappling and armor as they grow older. When the young hatches, it climbs into the small pouch on the mother's stomach to be carried around, allowing the young to follow the parents around without danger of being scooped up and devoured by the large birds that hunt overhead. The exact lifespan of the species is unknown, but is estimated to be around 50 years for a successful mated pair.

The reddish nasal pouches on both genders is a useful tool; it inflates when the creatures bellow, producing a loud, deep noise which can stun predators or prey and, under the right circumstances, even reduce rocks to rubble. This is a particularly key ability for the species to possess, as it makes feeding and staying alive much easier. Males have a throat pouch that help to amplify this noise, and they use it to great effect when seeking to find their first mate. Their long tails are another interesting feature: when threatened, the False Kirin can raise its tail and fan it out, much as a peacock would, and will face the threat head-on. This creates the illusion that the False Kirin is much larger and wider than it is, and it is certainly an intimidating sight to see.

False Kirins are not especially aggressive, though they are, like most animals, quite dangerous when hungry or threatened. On the whole, they appear to be fairly curious about our human research team, and we have often spotted several members of the species drifting by our camp to poke around and see what we're up to. One of our junior researchers has been gone quite awhile, however...

I'm sure it's nothing seri

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