Mediterranean Basin

Location:

Mediterranean region

Biome:

Salt flats with scattered islands of limestone karst called the Grykes

(A result of the Mediterranean sea being cut off from the strait of Gibraltar and drying up due to Continental drift, the Grykes were formed from what remains of the Mediterranean islands)

Climate:

Hot and Arid: Extremely dry with scorching daytime temperatures and cold nights.

Limited Rainfall: Occasional localized showers provide brief bursts of moisture.

High Salinity: Salt flats dominate the landscape, creating hypersaline pools and alkaline soils.

Geography:

Salt Flats: Expansive plains of salt and cracked earth, inhospitable to most plant life.

Limestone Grykes: Rugged formations of eroded limestone rising above the salt flats, creating crevices that collect moisture and host pockets of vegetation.

Hypersaline Pools: Scattered briny water sources that support aquatic life adapted to extreme salinity.

Hazards:

Extreme Heat and Dehydration: Lack of fresh water and high temperatures create survival challenges.

Salt Crusts and Sinkholes: Hidden pits and weak salt deposits may collapse underfoot.

Predators: Ambush predators like Flatfangs and Thornclaws threaten smaller animals.

Isolation in Grykes: Creatures relying on crevices for shelter are vulnerable to predators.

Bestiary:

Mammals

Scrofa (Sus crevicola)

Ancestor: Wild Boar

Size: 50 cm (20 inches) tall, 40 kg (88 lbs)

Appearance: Small, slender pig with elongated legs and a long, flexible snout adapted for rooting in rocky crevices.

Ecological Niche: Herbivore feeding on plants in limestone grykes and scavenging food scraps. Competes with Rockscramblers and Gryketortoises for vegetation.

Gryken (Martes creviculus)

Ancestor: Pine Marten

Size: 90 cm (3 feet) long, 5 kg (11 lbs)

Appearance: Slender, sinuous body with sleek fur and sharp, dagger-like fangs.

Ecological Niche: Ambush predator lurking in cracks between grykes, preying on Cliffrats, Scrofas, and Limehoppers.

Cliffrat (Glis calcarius)

Ancestor: Dormouse

Size: 25 cm (10 inches) long, 400 g (0.9 lbs)

Appearance: Small rodent with strong claws for climbing and sandy-brown fur for camouflage.

Ecological Niche: Herbivore feeding on crevice plants, seeds, and flowers. It avoids predators like Grykens by nesting in high cliff crevices.

Sandpouncer (Felis arenicola)

Ancestor: Feral Cat

Size: 1 meter (3.3 feet) long, 8 kg (18 lbs)

Appearance: Compact, muscular feline with sand-colored fur and padded paws for silent movement across rocks.

Ecological Niche: Apex predator stalking Cliffrats, Limehoppers, and Springengi in rocky terrain. Competes with Grykens for prey.

Rockscrambler (Capra lithoclimber)

Ancestor: Goat

Size: 90 cm (3 feet) at the shoulder, 45 kg (99 lbs)

Appearance: Sure-footed herbivore with curved horns and tough hooves adapted for climbing rocky outcrops.

Ecological Niche: Grazes tough vegetation inaccessible to other herbivores. Competes with Scrofas and Gryketortoises for food.

Spikedge (Erinaceus armatus)

Ancestor: Hedgehog

Size: 40 cm (16 inches) long, 2.5 kg (5.5 lbs)

Appearance: Round body with sharp, armor-like spines and powerful claws.

Ecological Niche: Omnivore feeding on insects, seeds, and roots. Uses its spines for defense against Grykens.

Leapfoot (Lepus saltator)

Ancestor: European Hare

Size: 60 cm (24 inches) long, 3 kg (6.6 lbs)

Appearance: Long-legged hare with powerful hind limbs and sandy fur.

Ecological Niche: Herbivore grazing on plants and evading predators like Flatfangs and Grykens.

Springengi (Macroscelides saltator)

Ancestor: North African Sengi

Size: 30 cm (12 inches) long, 300 g (0.7 lbs)

Appearance: Small, bipedal insectivore with long legs and a flexible nose.

Ecological Niche: Hunts insects like Limehoppers while avoiding predators such as Flatfangs.

Birds

Salinago (Phoenicopterus salinus)

Ancestor: Flamingo

Size: 1.5 meters (5 feet) tall, 6 kg (13 lbs)

Appearance: Tall, pinkish-gray bird with long legs and a specialized beak for filtering brine shrimp.

Ecological Niche: Feeds in saline pools, competing with Saltstriders and preyed upon by Grykens and Flatfangs.

Grystalker (Accipiter rupes)

Ancestor: Goshawk

Size: 60 cm (24 inches) long, wingspan 1.2 meters (4 feet)

Appearance: Broad-winged raptor with sharp talons and grayish-brown plumage.

Ecological Niche: Aerial predator hunting Cryptiles, Cliffrats, and Limehoppers. Occasionally raids Scrofa nests.

Grykejay (Garrulus rupestris)

Ancestor: Eurasian Jay

Size: 35 cm (14 inches) long

Appearance: Small, white-and-blue bird with long wings and sharp claws.

Ecological Niche: Opportunistic feeder scavenging seeds and insects. Builds nests in the sparse trees located amongst the grykes to evade predators.

Reptiles

Cryptile (Agama salinensis)

Ancestor: Agamid Lizard

Size: 40 cm (16 inches) long

Appearance: Slender body, sticky frill-like neck used as a flytrap, and pale white coloration for camouflage against the salt flats.

Ecological Niche: Hunts brine flies and insects near saline pools. Escapes predators like Flatfangs using speed.

Flatfang (Vipera crevicola)

Ancestor: Viper

Size: 1.2 meters (4 feet) long

Appearance: Thick-bodied snake with gray scales and broad, triangular head.

Ecological Niche: Ambush predator hiding in limestone cracks to prey on Scrofas and Cryptiles.

Stonefang Skink (Scincus lapidarius)

Ancestor: Skink

Size: 1 meter (3.3 feet) long

Appearance: Flattened, armored body with overlapping scales resembling polished stone.

Ecological Niche: Herbivore and insectivore camouflaged against limestone.

Gryketortoise (Testudo calcaria)

Ancestor: Tortoise

Size: 40 cm (16 inches) long, 10 kg (22 lbs)

Appearance: Domed shell and strong jaws adapted for grazing tough plants.

Ecological Niche: Herbivore feeding on Saltspike leaves, competing with Scrofas for food.

Fish

Salinefin (Cyprinus hypersalinus)

Ancestor: Cyprinid Fish

Size: 20 cm (8 inches) long

Appearance: Small, silver-scaled fish with wide gills and elongated fins adapted to hypersaline waters.

Ecological Niche: Feeds on algae and Brinecrawlers in saline pools. Preyed upon by Grystalkers.

Invertebrates

Saltstrider (Gerris hypersalinus)

Ancestor: Water strider.

Size: 5 cm (2 inches) long.

Appearance: Thin, long-legged insect with hydrophobic legs adapted to skim across saline pools.

Ecological Niche: Predatory scavenger feeding on trapped insects in hypersaline water. Preyed upon by Cryptiles and Snarewings.

Brinecrawler (Artemia calcis)

Ancestor: Brine shrimp.

Size: 2 cm (0.8 inches) long.

Appearance: Tiny, translucent crustacean with feathery legs and a flexible tail for swimming in brine.

Ecological Niche: Algae grazer providing food for Saltstriders, Salinefins, and Salinagos.

Limehopper (Acrida calcica)

Ancestor: Grasshopper.

Size: 10 cm (4 inches) long.

Appearance: Pale, spindly grasshopper with long hind legs for leaping and wing covers resembling cracked limestone.

Ecological Niche: Herbivore feeding on crevice plants and prey for Grykens, Flatfangs, and Snarewings.

Thornclaw (Scorpio crevicola)

Ancestor: Scorpion.

Size: 20 cm (8 inches) long.

Appearance: Pale, spiny exoskeleton camouflaging against limestone, with sharp pincers and a venomous, hooked tail.

Ecological Niche: Ambush predator preying on Limehoppers, Saltstriders, and smaller invertebrates. Hides in crevices to avoid predation.

Snarewing (Anisoptera venator)

Ancestor: Dragonfly.

Size: 15 cm (6 inches) wingspan.

Appearance: Metallic, iridescent wings with an elongated, segmented body and large, bulbous eyes.

Ecological Niche: Aerial predator feeding on Limehoppers and Saltstriders, preyed upon by Grystalkers.

Rockworm (Lumbricus calcifer)

Ancestor: Earthworm.

Size: 15 cm (6 inches) long.

Appearance: Slimy, pinkish worm with a tough, leathery skin resistant to drying.

Ecological Niche: Burrows in moist grykes, aerating soil and feeding on decaying plant matter. Attracts predators like Scrofas.

Chalkburrower (Scarabaeus fossor)

Ancestor: Beetle larva.

Size: 5 cm (2 inches) long.

Appearance: Plump, white grub with hardened jaws and segmented, armored plates.

Ecological Niche: Feeds on plant roots in limestone cracks, competing with Scrofas and preyed upon by Thornclaws.

Fleckwing (Noctuidae pollinator)

Ancestor: Moth.

Size: 8 cm (3 inches) wingspan.

Appearance: Delicate, brown-and-white patterned wings for camouflage, and feathery antennae.

Ecological Niche: Nocturnal pollinator of Saltspike flowers and prey for Snarewings.

Plants

Saltspike (Succulenta calcaria)

Ancestor: succulent

Size: 1 meter (3 feet) tall

Appearance: Thick, spiny leaves adapted to store water in alkaline soils.

Ecological Niche: Provides shelter and food for herbivores like Scrofas and Rockscramblers.