This is an eutru. They're one of Prithvi's (the same planet Lazarus is from) apex predators, occupying a similar niche to that of Earth's lions. Though similar to both mammals and reptiles, they cannot truly be called either. They are warm-blooded, hairless, and oviparous. The young do not nurse and are capable of eating whole food as soon as they hatch.

They are solitary and nocturnal hunters, as light reflecting off their iridescent skin is more likely to give them away during the day. They hunt on the grasslands, chasing and overpowering medium to large grazing animals with their extremely muscular jaws and forearms. Their jaw muscles are massive, with much of them extending into the neck.

Eutru teeth are different than other predators'. While they have the typical row of incisors and pair of canines on both the upper and lower jaw, they also have a second, larger pair of canines on the upper jaw. These are primarily for holding onto struggling prey, but, though they are not true tusks, they double as a display of genetic strength during mating season. The molars are short and have a flat edge, acting more like the edge of a blade than the point. There is a gap between the canines and molars, similar to that found in equines. Like all Prithvian animals, the teeth are black.

Like many other Prithvian animals, eutru have multiple slits in the skin along their sides. These serve both to release excess heat and increase oxygen intake. This extra oxygen enters the bloodstream more directly than oral or nasal respiration, allowing muscle cells to operate longer before fatigue sets in.

While eutru possess all five senses, they rely almost solely on smell for hunting and navigation. The four horizontal slits on the snout are actually very large nostrils. They remain half-open at rest, and close when running or fighting, leaving respiration to the vents. They open fully when sniffing, or to flash the bright blue skin underneath as a threat or mating display. Unlike the lateral vents of most Prithvian species, those of eutru have very week olfactory sensors on the inner sides of the flaps. They are too weak to identify a scent, and only alert the eutru to abnormalities from different directions, at which point it can turn for further investigation. They also exhibit a behavior often seen in tigers called the flehmen response. They bare their teeth and flatten their tongue against the roof of their mouth to funnel hormones and airborne particles to their olfactory system

Social interaction between eutru is rare, but surprisingly civilized. Eutru are one of Prithvi's non-hermaphroditic species. Hierarchies exist among males and among females, but not between the sexes. Though the muscles dedicated to closing the jaws are extremely strong, those for opening are very weak. Eutru show dominance among others of the same sex by gently closing their jaws around a subordinate's. Males also do this to females during copulation to avoid being bitten. If two members of the same sex are pursuing the same mate, they will first bare their teeth, flash their bright blue tongues, and make themselves look as imposing as possible to scare the other off. If neither backs down, a fight will occur, though these rarely result in serious injury or death. Males are often larger than females, though not always; otherwise there is no sexual dimorphism.

A mother eutru will lay 3 to 6 eggs, but will only raise about half of the young herself, as they tend to become a burden during hunts. It is possible but unlikely for the remaining half to survive on their own. There are a few reports of females without offspring of their own adopting abandoned young or eggs.

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WOW okay accidental worldbuilding lol. So yeah, I really like these guys a lot. I'm considering having their tongues attached to the top jaw rather than the bottom. It would direct scents directly to the nose via a hole in the roof of the mouth rather than a Jacobson's organ. Then the entire tongue would flatten against the roof of the mouth while eating to keep food from getting into that hole. Not sure yet. Also gonna update Lazarus a bit to make him more plausible.

I'm really starting to like colored pencils, too.

THESE ARE A CLOSED SPECIES.

Eutru, art © me