| Becko Crabcat | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| General Information | |||
| Origin | No Man's Sky | ||
| Classification | Brachynae plateofelis | ||
| Homeworld | Zukabergo-Nama Gusuk | ||
| Environment | Becko Desert | ||
| Intelligence | Non-sapient | ||
| Biochemistry | Carbon-based lifeform | ||
| Discoverer | Somarinoa | ||
| Biological Information | |||
| Reproduction | Sexual; gives live birth | ||
| Average Height | 0.98 m | ||
| Average Weight | 61.67 kg | ||
| Locomotion | Quadrupedal | ||
| Feeding Behavior | Herbivorous | ||
| Prey | Various plant species | ||
| Predators | Ibbochr Shalewolf, Ibbochr Tailshrike | ||
| Distinctive Features | Armored plating along its back | ||
| Fur Color | Tawny, olive drab, red | ||
| Cladogramatical Information | |||
| Cultural Information | |||
| Alignment | True Neutral | ||
| Scientific Taxonomy | |||
| Planet | Zukabergo-Nama Gusuk | ||
| Domain | Eukaryota | ||
| Kingdom | Animalia | ||
| Subkingdom | Eumetazoa | ||
| Infrakingdom | Bilateria | ||
| Superphylum | Deuterostomia | ||
| Phylum | Chordata | ||
| Subphylum | Vertebrata | ||
| Class | Mammalia | ||
| Genus | Brachynae | ||
| Species | plateofelis | ||
| Other Information | |||
| Status | Vulnerable (after Lambent Crisis) | ||
Becko Crabcats (Brachynae plateofelis) are a species of herbivorous gusukcats indigenous to the planet Zukabergo-Nama Gusuk.
Physiology
Becko Crabcats are squat gusukcats with almost thin frames yet muscular legs. Like their relatives, the Lobrau Fatcats, they have long but thin tails. Overall their fur is tawny in hue, but as they reach maturity their necks take on shiny, almost scaly, olive drab coloration in a dorsal-oriented patch. Again like their relatives, their muzzle and lower limbs are a deep red, and are used to signal others of their species from a distance or from within the underbrush. Unlike Lobraus however, their lower limbs are armored with a keratin carapace. This armor has projections that serve a double-purpose: Not only do they aid in overall protection, but they also help the Crabcat hold itself while scaling the large tree-like Weeping Tendrila that dot the landscape.
Unlike Fatcats, Crabcats have not developed a blubbery substance to keep themselves warm and instead rely on thickened blood to survive. Their skin is also taut around their frame, as they rely on their carapace for protection against would-be foes.
They are common prey items for both the Ibbochr Tailshrike and the Ibbochr Shalewolf, although their armor makes them more difficult to handle. They are also excellent climbers and will attempt to scale a cliff or climb a Weeping Tendrila to escape their predators. During the Lambent Crisis though, the ramped up aggression and focus of the two predator species would leave them to wait out a Crabcat that had climbed a tree-equivalent, and many were unnecessarily slain in this manner.
Whereas the toxins imbibed by a Fatcat are stored in their dorsal plates, those in Crabcats are stored within their claws, giving them a dangerous scratch should they feel threatened.
Dietary Habits
As a species, they will consume a variety of vegetation, but their squat bodies make them ideal for consuming low-lying flora, primarily Diekons and Icekaruts, but they also enjoy climbing rocky outcroppings to feast upon Klovahs, and will sometimes consume portions of Weeping Tendrila when necessary. As the first two of these are among the most poisonous vegetation on the planet, Lobraus are equipped with very resilient digestive systems that can handle this.
Ecology
Appearance in Monster Space, Dangerous Wilds, and Long Story.
Lobrau Fatcats were first discovered in the Becko Desert, but are also found in Hachadsh Dale, Uryam Plains, Sidopolu Moor, Ovna Glacier, Futerfjot Crossing, and the Mawats Plains.
Crabcats are the most talented climbers of all known gusukcats (which include the aforementioned Lobrau Fatcats, the Sailcat, Thorncat, Titan Thorncat, and perhaps surprisingly, the Zukabergo Wogakak, Yinfurbing Tukakak, and by extension, the Sailridges). Young and even juvenile Crabcats are known to climb Weeping Tendrila in their Frosty Fungiferoid form for safety against potential predators. The stalks of this form are not believed to have been able to support adults, who instead were witnessed to scale steep cliff faces instead to escape their foes. While none have been seen since the Great Thaw, if they have indeed survived and remain on the surface (given the Hollow Zukaberg hypothesis), than the adults could easily climb the Weeping Tendrila in their "summer" state.
When pregnant, a female Crabcat will locate and utilize an abandoned Lobrau Fatcat burrow, using her armor to scrape away at the tunnel to make it better fit her own size. They are not nearly as good at burrowing as their relatives and thus do as little of it as possible. However, they usually will have to expand upon the sleeping quarters as they are larger than the Fatcats and need the extra room. This will take some time—usually several days to a week or more—as they are very delicate with their claws and tend to try and scrape away with their armored forelimbs and the rough edges of their dorsal carapace.