Aetosauria
The largest terrestrial animals on DW, Aetosaurs are truly magnificent creatures. Rarely any smaller than large cattle, and easily reaching sizes that could rival the sauropods, at least in terms of shoulder height and mass, they are always herbivorous, and tend to be non-specific in their diets, most being capable of eating any and all parts of vegetation they come across. All bear a few similar features. Most have a beak used for cropping grass, ferns, leaves or bark, and a set of powerful teeth behind. They all have large spikes used for defence sprouting from their shoulder blades, and have varying degrees of armour on their back. In larger species, this helps act as a support for the bones, whilst in smaller species, it is valid protection against predators that can attack from above.
Family:Stagonolepidida
Lummoxes (Errerebelua)
Lummoxes are a large group of relatively small Aetosaurs that are found across Europe and western Asia. The majority are browsers, although one species regularly grazes from river beds. Living in large herds, Lummoxes are known for their tight social structure, which they rely upon as a defence system. Upon noticing a predator, they immediately become a huge bellowing mass of spikes and snapping beaks that can drive off even the most persistent of Raiusuchids.
Willow Lummox (Errerebelua Salix)
One of the smaller Lummoxes, the Willow Lummox is the only Lummox to ever take up a niche normally taken by a Rhynchosaur. Found mostly in Germany, Austria and Hungary, Willow Lummoxes are slow moving trawlers of rivers, pulling up plants to eat, and browsing on nearby trees. Despite being seemingly destructive, these animals help refertilize rivers with their high nitrate-content dung, as well as stirring up the riverbed to allow new plant seeds to settle more easily. They even provide a source of protection for fish against piscivores, and in return, these fish remove parasites from the gentle giants.
Dreaming Lummox (Errebelua Somniatus)
One of the larger Lummoxes, reaching around seven metres in length, Dreaming Lummoxes, or simply Dreamers, are named for their odd habit of sonnambulism; it is not unusual to see the majority of a Dreamer herd stumbling along with their eyes half closed, pupils rolled into heads, shepherded by awake members, ploughing straight through most foliage, normally being preceded by a wave of smaller animals. Any predator approaching the herd will result in the sonnambulistic members being woken, and forming a typical Aetosaur defensive circle. Typical browsers, they are found throughout the warmer parts of Europe, normally in the sparser forests.
Northern Lummox (Errebelua Boreas)
The smallest of the Lummoxes, and the smallest mainland Aetosaur, only reaching around five metres in length, the Northern Aetosaur is a fairly common sight across the Taiga and Coniferous forests of Northern Europe and North-Western Asia. Living in large herds, they depend on numbers for protection against threats such as Khannic Ornlus, mobbing them with sharp shoulder spikes. They are one of the few Aetosaurs capable of eating pine needles, with the large herds capable of stripping forests
Astatas (Titanomimus)
The Astatas are a genus of large, sauropod like Aetosaurs found across the Afro-Eurasia. Bizarre amongst Aetosaurs in their convergent evolution with sauropods, it is presumed that the first Astata evolved after the Cretaceous extinction of the majority of the Leipsanosaurs, most likely during the Eocene. Though a relatively small genus, they seem to be diversifying.
Apata (Collotitan Magnificens)
The largest of the Astatas and the longest of all Aetosaurs (being shorter at the shoulder and having less mass than an Imperial Stadt-Titan) the African Apata is a truly magnificent animal. At around 28 metres long, it is one of the largest animals to grace the continent.
Family:Stagonolepidida
Lummoxes (Errerebelua)
Lummoxes are a large group of relatively small Aetosaurs that are found across Europe and western Asia. The majority are browsers, although one species regularly grazes from river beds. Living in large herds, Lummoxes are known for their tight social structure, which they rely upon as a defence system. Upon noticing a predator, they immediately become a huge bellowing mass of spikes and snapping beaks that can drive off even the most persistent of Raiusuchids.
Willow Lummox (Errerebelua Salix)
One of the smaller Lummoxes, the Willow Lummox is the only Lummox to ever take up a niche normally taken by a Rhynchosaur. Found mostly in Germany, Austria and Hungary, Willow Lummoxes are slow moving trawlers of rivers, pulling up plants to eat, and browsing on nearby trees. Despite being seemingly destructive, these animals help refertilize rivers with their high nitrate-content dung, as well as stirring up the riverbed to allow new plant seeds to settle more easily. They even provide a source of protection for fish against piscivores, and in return, these fish remove parasites from the gentle giants.
Dreaming Lummox (Errebelua Somniatus)
One of the larger Lummoxes, reaching around seven metres in length, Dreaming Lummoxes, or simply Dreamers, are named for their odd habit of sonnambulism; it is not unusual to see the majority of a Dreamer herd stumbling along with their eyes half closed, pupils rolled into heads, shepherded by awake members, ploughing straight through most foliage, normally being preceded by a wave of smaller animals. Any predator approaching the herd will result in the sonnambulistic members being woken, and forming a typical Aetosaur defensive circle. Typical browsers, they are found throughout the warmer parts of Europe, normally in the sparser forests.
Northern Lummox (Errebelua Boreas)
The smallest of the Lummoxes, and the smallest mainland Aetosaur, only reaching around five metres in length, the Northern Aetosaur is a fairly common sight across the Taiga and Coniferous forests of Northern Europe and North-Western Asia. Living in large herds, they depend on numbers for protection against threats such as Khannic Ornlus, mobbing them with sharp shoulder spikes. They are one of the few Aetosaurs capable of eating pine needles, with the large herds capable of stripping forests
Astatas (Titanomimus)
The Astatas are a genus of large, sauropod like Aetosaurs found across the Afro-Eurasia. Bizarre amongst Aetosaurs in their convergent evolution with sauropods, it is presumed that the first Astata evolved after the Cretaceous extinction of the majority of the Leipsanosaurs, most likely during the Eocene. Though a relatively small genus, they seem to be diversifying.
Apata (Collotitan Magnificens)
The largest of the Astatas and the longest of all Aetosaurs (being shorter at the shoulder and having less mass than an Imperial Stadt-Titan) the African Apata is a truly magnificent animal. At around 28 metres long, it is one of the largest animals to grace the continent.