An assortment of some of the most well-known megafauna that inhabit Mars ll, specifically the massive supercontinent situated on the planet’s equator known as “Jariloia”, which has a seasonal, semi-arid climate with vast, sprawling grasslands and forests that surround rivers and streams, a few mountainous area here and there, as well as a vast desert that covers the interior. The dominant tree of Jariloia is the Acacia-Oak, which can grow up to 15 meters tall, is specifically adapted for the supercontinent’s dry climate, and is a major component of the biome unique to Jariloia that is known as the “Oak-Savanna” and is fed upon by its endemic variety large herbivores, which occasionally frequent the desert from time to time to find water holes, along with three of the most common predators that inhabit that vast open ocean that spans a whole half of the exo-planet.
1. The Great Konik Neoequus conicus is the second-most common large herbivore found on the Oak Savanna, and is also one of the largest equid species found on Mars ll. It travels in large, nomadic herds that are led by a single dominant stallion and his mares and foals, and the herd that strengthen their social bonds by grooming. As they travel, the dominant female and its offspring leads the group, followed by the next most dominant member, and the family stallion lads from behind.
2. The Common Turtle-Titan is the largest and heaviest land animal of Jariloia, and is the most abundant megafauna herbivore of Jariloia. Females stand up to 7 meters tall and weigh up to 13 tons, and males stand up to 11 meters tall and weigh up to 18 tons. As the most important keystone species of the Oak Savanna, the turtle-titan plays a major role in dispersing the seeds of the plants it eats.Turtle-Titans travel in small herds of 20-30 individuals that are led by an experienced large male who knows where the right feeding grounds or water holes are. During the mating season the Males fight each other over a small harem of females, which will soon lay a batch of 15-20 eggs and leave the hatchlings to their fate.
3. The Jariloian Dragon-Skink is one of the largest reptililian predators of Mars ll, and it manly inhabits the gallery forests in order to avoid competition with the predators of the grasslands, where it preys on hard-shelled prey with its powerful jaws. It measures around 13-14 meters long and weighs up to 7-9 tons, and its chief prey are the rhino-sized pill-millipedes that inhabit the woods.
4. The Jariloian Zipper-Mouth is the largest mammalian carnivore/omnivore found on the Oak Savanna. It had an average length of 8-12 meters long and weighs around 6-8 tons.
Despite looking like a cross between and elephant and a rhino, the Jariloia Zipper-Mouth is the most well-known member of the Pchyderm-Shrews, since it evolved from shrew-like ancestors, and it occupies an ecological niche on the Oak Savanna that is similar to those of spotted hyenas.
5. Parachiropterus gigas is the largest flying animal of Jariloia, as well as the largest flying mammal found on Mars ll. It head mashes 4 meters long, and it weighs up to 500-600 kg, with Females stand 7 meters tall and males stand around 9-10 meters tall. It sport uniquely hollow bones and heavily-powerful muscles to keep it lightweight body aloft over the skies.
Although The species often occupies a similar ecological niche to the griffon vultures of Earth by scavenging on the remains of megafaunal herbivores, it will also stalk the grasslands for small prey such as antelopes, rodents and small birds and reptiles, and flush them out to catch them as the oak-savannas are set ablaze by periodic wildfires during the peak of the dry season.
6. The hammer-headed terror bird Pachycephalornis is the largest avian carnivore of Mars ll, and its heavily-boned head was reinforced by a thick layer of keratin. stand up to 3.9 meters tall, and two heads had a span a total length of 3.7 meters. The animal pleased a heavily-built neck that was used for thrusting the had in sideways attacks aimed at the flanks and ribs of their swift ungulate prey such as antelopes and horses.
7. The Imperial Sword-Ray is Mars ll’s largest oceanic predator, measuring around 13-18 meters long and weighing around 4 to 6 tons. It is a fast-moving swimmer that is capable of making spectacular breaching displays, and it inhabits the tropical to temperate waters of the great ocean that spans the entire half of the planet and is the main top predator, preying on smaller fish-eating carnivores that are around the size of dolphins or beluga whales.
8. Raptoricthys lupinus, better known as the Wolf-Fish, is a hypercanivorous, dolphin-sized relative of minnows that inhabits the open ocean waters around Jariloia and occupies a similar niche to some of Earth’s pelagic shark species. It measures around 3-4 meters long and is among the most common predators that are found in oceanic feeding frenzies targeting shoals of mackerel or sardine-like feeder fish, alongside the Pelagic Parachiropterans, and it is also the most commonly-sought prey of the imperial sword-ray.
9. The Coastal Parachiropteran is a smaller, more maritime-based cousin of the Ibis-Headed Parachiropteran. Its body has a length of 2.8M and it had a wingspan of 6 meters. This species lives in large harems on the rocky, cliff-lined coasts of Jariloia,and they are ruled over by aggressive, territorial males thatprotect their many females from intruders. They are also capable of diving into the sea to catch feeder fish, just like earth’s gannets or shear waters, and frequently show up at feeding frenzies.
