Creature:Stallop

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Scientific Classification
Domain: Eukaryota (Complex Organisms) Kingdom: Animalia (Animals) Subkingdom: Eumetazoa (Tissue into Germ Layers) Superphylum: Ecdysozoa(Shed Three-Layer Cuticle) Phylum: Arthropoda (Jointed Foot) Subphylum: (Six-Legged Arthropods) Infraphylum: Insecta (Insects) Superclass: -- Series: -- Class: -- Subclass: -- Superorder: -- "--" (--) Order: -- Suborder: -- Family: -- Subfamily: -- Genus: -- Species: -- Binominal Name: --

Statistics
Species Type: Cold-blooded Terrestrial Insectoid Lifestyle: Somewhat Social Predator Hunt/Forage Success Rate: 100% Hunt (60% success rate) Armor: Defenses: Weapons: Tools: Method of Eating: Reproductive Rate: Gestation: Offspring Incubation: Number of Offspring: Although the number is currently uncalculated, they have large litters, due to their young being so much smaller and vulnerable than the adults. Offspring Survival Rate (before age of maturity): 20% -- Stallop mates only take care of their offspring until they can successfully run at a full gait; after which they must fend for themselves. Due to their dimunitive stature, they are prey to many animals, and their small size decreases the distance they travel per leap significantly. Most young die within a year of birth, with the number of annual deaths by age slows down until the age of 10, at which point they are sexually mature and are fully capable of defending themselves successfully. Singular/Plural/Possessive: Stallop/Stallops/Stallopan

Description
Stallops are large, predatory insects, with adults reaching the size of a horse. They possess typical Vuunegan insect eye-style, consisting of a single large, cyclopean, complex eye in the middle of their face, surrounded by several smaller ocelli eyes. They possess the regular six legs, positioned in the Stallop's case in a circle: one leg in the very front, two where arms would appear, two where legs would appear, and one in the very rear. All of these limbs are the same length -- however, the front "arm" pair (from now on referred to as the forelimbs) are always held aloft, and are used as sharp stabbing weapons; they are only brought down in such events as keeping the Stallop from being physically pushed off a cliff, or to stand its ground in any other way. The other two pairs (the "legs" henceforth are known as the hindlegs, and the "face-butt legs" are known as the gallopers), when stationary or moving slowly (typically only for short distances), are both connected with the ground, to keep it balanced. However, once the Stallop takes off at impressive speeds of up to 35 mph, the hindlegs lift up off the ground, leaving only the gallops for movement -- this means the Stallops run balanced on only two legs. At this point, the hindlegs are used for balance, and when making a turn (keeping it from falling over by dragging the hind leg on the inside of the turn dragging through the ground if required to do so). Stallops are not picky animals, and will consume generally any creature smaller than them, and occasionally even larger game, if a group of them work together to bring it down. However, they prefer creatures that are at least the size of a cat -- anything smaller is a waste of effort to hunt on their part.

Information Worth Using
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Ecdysozoans
The most notable characteristic shared by ecdysozoans is a three-layered cuticle composed of organic material, which is periodically molted as the animal grows. This process is called ecdysis and gives the group its name. The Ecdysozoans lack locomotory cilia, produce mostly amoeboid sperm, and their embryos do not undergo spiral cleavage as in most other protostomes. Various other features are found in the group — for instance, both tardigrades, pycnogonids and roundworms have a triradiate pharynx.