What started out as an analysis of the use of mythosaur tusks kinda got away from me and now i have a five page document on mythosaur biology lol, this was specifically written for my series ‘All Hail The Mand’alor’, which features Mand’alor Din and Mythosaur characters, but fic specifics have been removed from the below analysis.
(https://archiveofourown.org/series/2131323)
I was gently encouraged to put these headcanons up here too, bc not everyone has an AO3 account...so, here you go
Lifespan approx. 250 years, never stops growing, although this becomes more and more energy intensive as time progresses, so size increase at old age is minimal/unnoticeable, old age is not cause of death, energy expenditure outweighing energy intake is (re. lobsters)
From nose to tail, average body length of an adult is approx. 35m/115feet
When standing with neck fully extended, height of approx. 17m/56feet to shoulder, 22m/72feet to crest
→Biggest Mythosaur was measured at 183m /600feet long and 141m/642feet tall at the shoulder, 155m/508feet to crest, with 13m/43feet long tusks.
Not quite ‘city sized’ but really, really big
Size increases massively in the first three years leaving the nest, i.e. can go from 2m/6feet long to 15m/50feet in 18 months.
Decrease in overall size relates to overhunting of large Mythosaurs, leaving a physically smaller population, more capable of hiding effectively, to reproduce.
Behaviour like a cat/bird hybrid, v intelligent, cetacean level (re. dolphins/orcas)
Females more aggressive, keep strict territory, mature around 30, sexually mature around 40
Males bigger, roam through territories OR keep territory, mature around 20, sexually mature and entirely solitary around 30
No set breeding season, females can choose when to clutch (prevent infant loss during times of adverse environmental conditions)
Females mate only once in their lifetime with multiple males and store the sperm in specialised structure (spermatheca) for many years, female can choose which male’s sperm will fertilise the eggs (re. honeybees)
Male:Female egg ratio ALWAYS 2:1, approx. 85% successful hatch rate, 90% survival to adulthood, very low reproductive success for males ~very high competition
Females will typically clutch 3-4 times in her lifetime (V intensive process, will only lay when conditions are favourable)
Double canine teeth, trident premolars (re. leopard seal, see below)
https://theconversation.com/buffet-buddies-footage-reveals-that-fierce-leopard-seals-work-together-when-king-penguin-is-on-the-menu-121186
→Dental Formula : I 3/4, C 2/1, PM 9/9. (56 teeth total + 2 modified teeth (tusks))
Dental formula reads one half of the upper jaw/one half of the lower jaw eg. There are three incisors on the right side of the upper jaw AND the left side, and four incisors on the left and right bottom jaw, totalling 14 incisors total. Two right upper canines and one right lower canine, two left upper canines and one left lower canine…
All Mythosaurs have tusks, used primarily in courtship/dominance display, hunting, and digging. Size, shape, and placement of tusks (relative to the other premolars in the jaw) can indicate what Mythosaur ‘type.
(Because both males and females possess tusks, there likely is a function further than courtship. Tusks, in mammals, have a wide range of uses, but mainly for digging and eating (re hippo/pig), which makes sense considering most tusked animals are herbivorous or opportunistic omnivores (notable exceptions of narwhal (singular tusk only in male, for display/dominance) and walrus, both of which are carnivores). Even tusked dinosaurs and proto-mammals were less 'tusked', instead possessing bony palettes, beaks or saber teeth, not true tusks.)
Three toes on foot, four fingers on each hand. Hands are knuckled and capable of grasping, pulling, and holding (though not typical behaviour).
Magneto-sense, basically echolocation through beskar particulate matter in the sediment beds, Mythosaurs can sense vibrations and movement of beskar, and can use this to capture prey moving through the sediment. Can also manipulate beskar somewhat, mainly used to avoid sinkholes.
→Genotype: Genetic characteristics (e.g. genes for a certain colouration)
→Phenotype: Physical characteristics (e.g. colouration expressed), caused by genotype and environmental condition
Mythosaurs are highly polymorphic, and display many different naturally occurring physical variations while remaining the same species (classic example is Labrador dogs, which display three common coat colours (yellow, brown, black) and other rare variations (red)). Mythosaurs take it a step further because they’re space dinosaurs and I think it’s cool :)
Four main types, although many variations exist between types, and hybrid types are common.
Coast Type: Bony scutes, (re. sturgeon fish/crocodile. Also see earless monitor lizard below), minimised head crest. Heaviest build of all types. Can swim, prefers to stick to shallows. Primarily hunts fish (re. Spinosaurus) using tusks, jaws, and claws. Dark colouration, almost black. Very little variation in colour, some paling on joints with age. Nests in coastal cave systems.
https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/blogs/creatura-blog/2019/06/earless-monitor-lizards-look-like-cartoon-dinosaurs/
Rainforest Type: Rosettes of colouration (re. leopard/jaguar spots) on back and sides, pale belly. Slimmer than coast phenotype, head crest present, but thinned (re. feather quills without the feather bit), can be raised and lowered on command, for dominance displays and communication. Up to 70 quills in a crest. Tusks are slimmer, longer (does not exceed face length however) and closer to the face.
Desert Type: Partially subterranean, minimally fossorial (burrowing), insofar as they need to dig to get to underground caverns. Slimmer and longer than coast type, heavier than rainforest type. Dark red brown scales on extremities, paler toward body core. Adults paler than juveniles (Paleness increases over time with exposure to sun). Active at all times of the day, although tends to spend hottest parts underground. Crest is bony and rigid, inflexible, runs from head down neck. Stops at shoulders.
(art by the amazing @blaiddthewolf !!!!!)
Canyon Type: Only type to actively run-down prey, slimmest and fastest type, entirely pale pink/white/gold colourations most common, mainly to reflect maximum sun, very few shaded areas and no sand for digging/covering. No crest at all, and minimised scale edges to reduce drag. (Basically, the ostrich/pronghorn/greyhound/cheetah of the mythosaur types.)
While differences in 'type better allow a Mythosaur to thrive in a specific biome, all 'types can survive in all biomes. A canyon 'type will survive on the coast, and will learn to hunt as a coastal type does, but potentially will not have as much reproductive success as a full coastal 'type. No matter the type, they are still all the exact same species.
Chimerism is a genetic phenomenon were a singular individual possesses two complete genomes, having DNA from two (or more) individuals. It is a rare mutation in organisms higher than bacteria, in animals, resulting from two of more fertilised eggs merging, often resulting in colouration being split right down the middle. Mythosaur females can do this on purpose, and can choose multiple sets of male DNA to fertilise a single egg, resulting in a Chimera Mythosaur (ie a coastal-desert 'type). It does NOT result in split colouration in Mythosaurs, but a blend of physical characteristics (ie. Reduced crest of coastal male, colouration of desert male, and further genetic additions from the mother).
However, it does mean that Chimera Mythosaurs have at least 3 sets of DNA. When reproducing, males can choose which DNA set to pass onto their offspring. Then females can choose to create new Chimeras from stored sperm. It also means that sibling even in the same clutch, are only typically distantly related, linked only by their mother.
A female has this as a choice, and may instead to use a single males sperm to fertilise the egg, resulting in a hybrid of 'types (if parents are different types) or a "pure" 'type (if parents are the same).
Communication mainly vibration based, produces frequencies well below human hearing for long distance. Vocalisations common during dominance/courtship battle, or with juveniles, but not for always for communication purposes.
→ Hiss, groan (re. sleepy dog), chuff, clack (from teeth), purr, timber, shriek…
Body language also important indicator (some examples below)
→Crouched, chest neat ground, head parallel to ground, with forelimb claws spread: Threat display (+open mouth for imminent attack)
→Standing straight, tail on ground, head pointing up: Deference to larger/dominant Mythosaur, seen often in juvenile males (difficult position to attack from)
→Fully seated on ground, forelimbs stretched forward/hands curled, tail relaxed: Content, resting, will only preform when fully safe, rarely seen in clutching mothers, more often (but not common) in infants and juveniles.
