#spacecreature

The pit horse is a large, insectoid creature with six extremely powerful legs. This creature inhabits subterranean environments across the bay, and is highly adaptive, surviving even the most extreme environments. This has lead to many different subspecies emerging on different planets in the bay. First documented and studied by renowned astrobiologist Androgynous Doomes, the pit horse's long body ends in a neck of considerable girth, and its shaggy mane often extends to the ground. It has large, square teeth, and very large nostrils for scent based perception. It has no eyes, although there are indentions where eyes would be, suggesting a mysterious evolutionary past. It is omnivorous and highly aggressive, posing a danger to mine workers who threaten their nests. They live in large colonies of up to a hundred, and they bore complex tunnel systems through rock. Occasionally they will surface, but it is unlikely for a colony to even have a tunnel leading to the surface, and even less likely for any specimen to actually use it. Males have a pale grey complexion, while females are a variety of dull yellows and greens. The ends of their legs sport very large hooves, and their tails are equipped with highly venomous stingers, lethal in even small doses. Pit horse eggs are considered a delicacy in many affluent systems, and mine workers sometimes go looking for them to earn some extra cash. It is rarely worth it, however. Adults can grow up to four meters long, and are extremely aggressive towards any perceived threat. Eggs typically hatch around two months after being laid, and pit horses typically live almost 15 years. They are not a force to be trifled with. They are commonly found in astral circus performances, with riders taking adult males on wild rampages to the amusement of an audience.