Alimons

Alimons are a fictional species of dinosaur created by DarkHououmon, author from Fanfiction.Net. They were originally created in late 1999, but overtime, they were developed and changed into the alimon of today.

Physical Description
The alimons have the general appearance of a sauropod. This sometimes give their prey the false interpretation of the alimons being harmless. Herbivores are the most likely to mistake the alimon for a young sauropod. Carnivores can sometimes get mixed up, but most learn from hard experience how to tell an alimon from a sauropod.

Alimons' enlongated necks are thicker and shorter than one would expect to see. Rather than having their nose on top of their heads, they are placed at the end of their snouts, much like a raptor's. The alimons have large eyes that are placed the same way as a wolf's.

The alimons have bulky, powerful limbs. They are thick like a sauropod's, but it's pure muscle. Their front limbs and paws are very flexible, like a human arm and hand. Their paws are able to grasp, hold, and point as well as be used as a weapon. Both front and back paws have four large talons as weapons.

The alimons' hind legs are shaped like a dog's or cat's, rather than like normal sauropods'. Thanks to the way their hip is designed and positioned, the alimons can rear up on their hind legs and walk around for a good amount of time, effortlessly. Their chest and rib cage are like a mixture of a dog's and a human's. They are huge and broad. Their tail, in comparison to their body, is usually thinner than a sauropod's.

The only way to tell a male and female alimon apart is by the back of their necks. Males have long feathers used to impress the females. The females have a short, fur-like mane of downy feathers. While they are reptiles, alimons do not have scales.

Evolution
The alimon is a member of the prosauropod family. Prosauropods were once thought to be the ancestors of sauropods, but were later classified as a 'sister' set. Alimons are closely related to massospondylus and plateosaurus, but it is debatable which of these dinosaurs the alimons evolved from.

Behavior
The alimon body language is very much like that of a dog's. Like a dog or a wolf, the tail is main indicator of what mood the alimon is in. But paying attention to the head, and the way it's held is another way to tell what kind of mood the alimon is in.

A relaxed and friendly alimon typically has their head raised, but still facing forward and the tail is held straight out above the ground.

A nervous alimon will have their head held a bit lower, and their tail would also be lowered.

A frightened alimon will usually have their tail either between their legs or just dragging along the floor, and their head would be either straight, or lowered further.

An aggressive and angry alimon will have their heads positioned like a frightened alimon's, but teeth will be bared and their tails would be raised straight up as a challenge.

Because of their intellect, alimons can reason much like the way a human can, and just like humans, alimons can decieve, and give of false signals. While alimons are a 'good' species of dinosaur, there are nasty ones out there that should be avoided.

Social Life
Like wolves and lions, alimons live in packs. Typical pack size is 20 members, but others can be as great as 35. Alimons live in a hiearchy, similar to a wolf pack's, but unlike wolves, alimons don't use aggression to reestablish their places in the pack. And unlike a wolf pack, making babies is not restricted to just the leaders.

An alimon pack is always run by a male alimon. However, if that male chooses a mate, the female has just as much power as the male, although she still needs the male's permission before giving out orders. Despite this, alimons don't believe in gender superiority, and the females and males are treated the same.

The second-in command of an alimon pack, known as a Commander, is the leader's most trusted servant, and is to carry out orders if the leader is, somehow, unable. The Commander is in charge of leading battles, and training the strongest alimons in combat.

A select few female alimons are trained by their parents the usefulness of plants and herbs. These alimons are known as Nurses, and are in charge of taking care of the sick and wounded.

The majority of alimons are in charge of scouting when they are told to do so. The best Scouters are sometimes rise up to become Spies, in charge of keeping an eye on an enemy pack, or Assassins, in charge of taking out dangerous adversaries.

The lowest ranking alimons are in charge of babysitting when they are told to do so. They usually hang around the nursery area where the cubbies, or baby alimons, are kept. When trouble invades their home, these alimons are in charge of moving the cubbies to safety.

Mating Rituals
When it comes to finding the right mate, females and males both must wait until they are 'of age', which, in alimon years, is when they are around 5. When the alimon breeding season comes in, which is generally starts in late summer and ends in early winter, the females are the ones who go look for a potential mate.

If the female finds a lone male, which is rare, the male will immediately try to impress her by showing off the length of his feathers and by making mating calls. He might also show off his speed and strength. Although rare, some males impress females with their beautiful singing voices.

But normaly, the female will find a small group of males, usually two to four. In this case, the males will fight each other, but rarely very aggressively. Instead of biting and clawing each other, they wrestle each other. The one still standing is the winner, and he is normally the one the female picks.

Once a male and a female get together, they are mates for life. The only time a male or a female search for a new mate is if their partner dies. Unlike humans, males never rape females or vice versa. Mating is only done if both male and female are content with it.

Pregnancy and Birth
When a female gets pregnant, the male immediately searches for a suitable nesting site, which is called a cliche. The cliches are usually located in or near the pack site, always in a shaded area. Once a site is chosen, the male gets to work gathering dead grass and leaves while the female digs a hole with her sharp claws.

The male sets the materials inside the hole, and when the pregnancy, which usually lasts about 3 weeks, is over, the female will lay her eggs on the grass and leaves. Normally she lays 4-6 eggs. She and the male will take turns watching over the eggs. Sometimes pack members will pitch in if the male and female are exhausted.

Incubation takes about 2 weeks, and the eggs hatch. Cubbies are defenseless for their first week and are dependent on their parents for food and water. When they are week and a half old, they are allowed to venture outside of the nest, and gradually, as they age week by week, are granted more and more freedom.

Cubbies
Cubbies tend to be born with little or no indication of gender. Their feathers don't usually develop until they are about a week old. They are born with their eyes closed, but have their teeth and claws. Cubbies are taken care of by almost just their parents for their first 3 weeks, and after that they are moved to the nursery with other cubbies, and then are cared for the lower ranking members of the pack.

The only exception to this is if the cubbie is born to the leaders of the pack. In this case, the cubbie always stays by its parents' sides unless the leaders are out somewhere. In this case, one member of the pack is entrusted with cubsitting the leaders' cubbie.

Cubbies age quickly, and by their first month are already adolescents.

Adolescents
Adolescents are energetic, sometimes show-offs, and sometimes troublemakers. They tend to stop obeying their parents and set off for short adventures outside of the pack. Reckless adolescents are often killed by rivalling packs. The strongest adolescents are trained for battle, while some others are trained to heal the sick and wounded.

Adolescent alimons, unlike most animals, lasts longer than the cubbie stage, around a month and a half.

Adults
Adults know their place in the pack, and rarely cause trouble. They are in charge of hunting, training, and fighting. The adults typically get along well with each other, though occasionally there are a few spats.

The adult stage is the longest part of an alimon's life. This stage typically lasts anywhere between 60 to 70 years.

Seniors
Old-aged alimons are in charge of storytelling to keep the cubbies entertained during overly long hibernations and when most of the adults are out. The seniors are also in charge of keeping the record of the pack in check, and whenever they are questioned, they must answer truthfully. Senior alimons do not have the appearance of an aged animal.

Seniors usually only last about 10 years.

Hibernation
Alimons sometimes, but not always, hibernate. They will eat as much as they can, build up on blubber, and sleep in a cave for a couple months. Their heart rate will slow down, but their brain will be alert enough so that, if any danger comes by, the alimon would know about it.

The hibernation, if there will be one, usually starts in late fall, and they awaken in early spring. Cubbies, however, cannot hibernate as long as the adults. So if the hibernation is too long, one of the seniors must wake up and take care of the cubbies until the rest of the pack is awake.

Size and Weight
Alimons tend to weigh anywhere between 100 to 400 pounds. This is dependant on their size, diet, and where they live. Alimons are normally 4-7 ft tall, but Dwarf Alimons are only around 2-3 ft tall, while Mega Alimons can be 8-10 ft tall.

Diet
Alimons are not very picky about what they eat, but they are strict carnivores, with the exception of medicine of course. Alimons will and can eat almost anything, but they have a preference for fish. One of the few things an alimon will never stomach is crayfish, for the crayfish carries a chemical that is lethal to most alimons.

Alimons will go for carion if nothing else is available. They have strong stomach acids, and can typically eat every part of the body, including the bones.

Hunting in an alimon pack is a lot like a wolf pack's. A group will go out and find a herd of prey, and some will go all the way around the herd to ambush. The alimons that remain behind will spook the herd and lead them into the trap waiting for them.

Distribution
Thanks to their ability to store blubber like a mammal, and their warm-blooded bodies, alimons can live almost anywhere they want to, but they typically stay within certain parts of Asia, most of Africa, and most of the Americas. Alimons outside of these are isolated, scattered, and rare.

Alimons prefer open grassy areas, but many are in home in deep jungles and forests, while cold-specialists love the arctic tundras. Most alimons prefer to hang around water sources for fish.

More Facts
Alimons have an incredible bite force, usually exceeding that of a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Alimons have amazing self-control due to their success in hunts, and will usually never overhunt.

Because the alimon mind is like a human's, some alimons can be evil.

Alimons can reach unimaginable speeds, but use up a lot of energy doing so.

Alimons can mimick any type of predatory sound, such as roars, growls, purrs, and howls.

Though rare, alimons will migrate if there is a food shortage.

Due to their large nasal cavity, an alimon has a terrific sense of smell, even better than a bear's.

Alimons hate honey.

Alimon teeth and claws can slice and dice through almost anything.

Alimons are very strong, but most know how to control their strength so they don't hurt others.

Alimons have hollow bones.

Alimons are not endangered.

Alimons can be any color.

The feathers on an alimon's neck are usually a slightly darker shade as the skin there, but sometimes, they can be a different color altogether.

On rare occasions, an alimon will have heat-resistance pads on their feet, enabling them to walk on fire, lava, and other hot sources for a length of time.

The alimons from the Land Before Time universe are in charge of protecting the Great Valley.