Reptiles
of the Future
Reptiles of the future are of course just speculation.
But since it is part of the T Rex Museum mission statement to study
this subject we will present it here. There are two paths one can
go on here. One is the more scientific look at what reptiles in
the future might evolve into given our current knowledge. The second
way is pure imagination. To see this, click the
Dragon History link.
An
outing to the beach. Just what my brothers, sisters and I wanted.
But this was going to be serious. This was going to be school. Still,
we were all very excited about it. The outing was to be the first
time since the hatching that we young eppies were being allowed
to accompany our parents and older siblings on a food gathering
expedition.
Okay, I know I'm apparently back in the possible
world 50 million years after mankind disappeared from Earth. Better
look around and see what I can figure out. This time it looks like
I'm on a large plain near the coast. Do I have the same type of
consciousness as I had on my last adventure into the future? Seems
the same. What do my memories tell me?
I am a member of a family that would have been
called Exossopraedators or bone pillagers the scientist in me says.
Looking back still farther I know that about 135 million years before
that extinction event and in the Age of the Great Reptiles, the
Eppie (E' pee) families ancestors were probably a small fleet footed
theropod or carnivorous bipedal dinosaur. Somewhere in the early
Cretaceous this family had started developing feathers and wings
that aided in both insulation and stability, and developed a rapid
running, jumping and predatory lifestyle. They may have even developed
flight, but had turned back to a ground based existence by the beginning
of the Eocene. This was just after the mass extinctions of their
close cousins the Archosaurian dinosaurs had left open a perfect
niche for them to exploit.
As flightless Ostriches they had developed more
of a taste for vegetable matter than meat. But they didn't always
turn away from a live or just dead morsel when it was available.
And with the mass extinctions of the mammals many, many more niches
were suddenly opened to this flightless Ratite bird family. Why
they took the lifestyle they now dominate is unknown to even them.
Maybe the availability of all the dead and dying mammals tempted
them to an easier lifestyle. Maybe there was a deep genetic intelligence
that sensed that this new direction would be best for the species.
Maybe it was blind luck. In any case the Ostrich family made a turn
toward a scavenging lifestyle sometime soon after the last great
extinctions and they eventually became the Exossopraedators or Eppies.
Right place, right time, and already warm blooded
the Ostriches simply out hustled their competition into a lucrative
new niche. New habits and lifestyles were developed over the years
which allowed the family to hold and then expand this niche.
Family rearing became an inbred genetic habit.
What ever benefited the family benefited the species and so the
development went over the millions of years. In evolution anything
that gives a species an advantage and can be passed on to offspring
will generally cause that species to flourish and continue. There
is also another factor not commonly understood that is often the
difference between success and failure over the long haul. This
has been called by some as the doubling factor. What it means is
that often a single factor that initially gives a species an advantage
in a given niche is not enough to insure its long-term survival.
Competition is fierce on all levels and especially on the evolutionary
level. An advantage that is here today may often be gone tomorrow
when a competing species also develops a similar or even better
strategy.
But if after securing the first advantage, a
species comes up with that one in a billion second advantage immediately
after the first one, it greatly increases the species long-range
prospects. In fact, it may be that this Doubling Factor is responsible
for much of the improbable long-term success of niche dominating
species.
This is exactly what happened to the Eppie's.
First they developed a fast mobile life style that allowed them
to get to an underutilized food source. This then allowed them to
invest more time and energy raising families and develop structures
which further helped their survival as a species. This was the first
evolutionary trait. The second came as they developed a unique defense.
As the Eppies digestive system became more and
more efficient to eating carrion, a unique trait developed. It happened
in this manner; one day a larger scavenger chased an Eppie away
from a bloated carcass. The fleeing Bird-reptile spit out his mouthful
of carrion full in the face of this pursuer. To all the Eppies amazement
the nearly now nearly blind pursuer stopped the chase, went into
a frenzy, and quickly left the area shaking its head and frantically
trying to get back its sight. The Exassopraedators were intelligent
animals and the very process of training young placed a premium
on individuals mimicking their parent's successful behavior. An
Eppee who had witnessed the scene tried the same trick the next
time he was pursued by a larger scavenger. The strategy worked again.
Maybe it was the decomposing meat or some noxious ingredient in
it. Maybe when combined with the Eppies saliva it became doubly
potent. Or maybe it was coincidence. But it did work often enough
that it became a standard defensive ploy. Soon they were all doing
it as well as teaching each new crop of young this trick. Over the
years it became more than just a strategy as the families actual
mouth secretions become a noxious, almost poisonous substance that
became the second evolutionary advance or the Doubling factor which
now enabled the Exossopraedator family to rapidly spread to other
areas on other continents than where they originated as the dominant
scavenger of the lands. Now instead of being a purely defensive
ploy the poisonous spray is often used to drive other animals away
from the carcass in an aggressive manner. Thus a strategy became
a genetic trait which was passed on to future generations and greatly
enhanced this families survival as a new species.
Normally, the young were fed and protected at
a communal nesting site where several families shared the trials
and tribulations of raising the increasingly demanding young brood.
But sooner or later the youngsters were going to have to face the
realities of life and the laws of survival. Today would be the first
of many lessons. Those that learned lived to pass these lessons
on to their offspring. The slow or the unlucky were weeded out early.
This was the reality of life after 500,000 centuries of Future evolution.
After 2 months in the eggs and three months
of mouth feeding, it was time for the young to learn the family
business. This business was an ancient and important natural function;
scavenging the remains of all the slow, unlucky, or sick creatures
found throughout the vast African, North American and Asian continents.
Other families of their kind had apparently spread to all the major
continents and were slowly spreading to other regions as they easily
out- competed most other scavengers. This was due in large measure
to their unique family structure and their ability to attack competitors
with their noxious saliva and speed.
As they started off toward the beach this brisk
spring day the family lined up instinctively in a traveling order.
At one end was an adult, then an older sibling, the babies, and
another adult bringing up the rear. Ranging out around the group
were other older siblings or members of this extended family. It
was an almost automatic defensive mechanism that was now part of
the Eppies genetic memories. In more practical manners it was a
case of the fastest animals with the best eyesight and also most
expendable who were basically scouts for the family. This was not
done in any planned way any more than wolves used to have the dominant
and strongest male break trail in snow. It was simply the most efficient
strategy and over the years became automatically adopted by the
families without conscious thought. If a predator attached, it would
first be seen by the young adults who could cry a warning and then
flee or attack as was deemed necessary. Alerted, the family and
especially the babies then had time to either prepare or flee depending
on the nature of the threat. I was the last baby in the line of
eight.
To get to the sea the we had to cross a grassland
savanna composed mostly of clumps of two or three foot high grasses
and an occasional large tree. Here the scouts would occasionally
surprise a snake or small lizard. These were brought back to the
family for us young ones to eat and keep up our strength. Often
we would pounce or play cat and mouse with these presents which
I immediately knew would help to hone our hunting skills when offal
was lean and hard to find.
Although not at full speed yet, we could still
travel in excess of 45 miles (72 kph) an hour. This made us one
of the fastest creatures on the planet, my genetic memory told me.
This was very necessary in this highly competitive ecosystem. There
were many predators who would not be deterred even by the Exossopraedators
speed, family defensive traits, or venomous saliva. The survival
rate of the family was not high even with all our advanced survival
skills. But it was higher than the competition, so we prospered
as a dominant species of and our line continued on through time.
Finally I could smell salt in the air. None
of my siblings seemed to know what it was. A short time later the
blue ocean could be seen by all and the tang of the salt air inhaled
and understood by all the youngsters. I was one of the more rambunctious
babies started to break from the line and run toward this wonder.
I was quickly intercepted by one of the adults and nipped back into
the line for my trouble. Family discipline must be maintained.
After a short time two of the scouts returned
from the waterfront which was apparently a signal that all was well.
Our family now proceeded to the warm beach sands at an easy trot.
Everyone took turns rolling in the clean warm sands and ducking
into the shallow salt water. This was a great way to rid ourselves
from the irritating parasites that occasionally plagued us my memory
said. We engaged in play typical of all youth when found in a carnival
atmosphere. Jumping and rolling, racing around these novel sand
dunes, and exploring new nooks and crannies. This was fun. What
incredible speed I could muster. Look ma, I can turn on a dime.
Oomph, where had that stick come from I thought as I picked myself
up and shook the sand from my feathers.
Of course our parents continued to scan both
up and down the beach and a couple of scouts still nervously roamed
inland a short distance. Still, all appeared well so after a quarter
hour of frolicking play the adult Eppies rounded us all up and headed
north up the beach to where they knew a large carcass had washed
up on the sands recently. It had been discovered by one of the family
scouts only that morning so there should be some meat left on the
large carcass. For the purposes of teaching the families newest
members the business, it was a good scenario.
We could all smell the delicious rotting meat
way before we saw it. Sure enough, when we arrived at the scene
a little while later there were only some medium sized scavengers
no bigger than ourselves feeding on the remains that were half out
of the water. Watching our parents for clues our newly arrived family
ringed the carcass in a semi circle which was apparently a normal
formation for this sort of feeding. I looked at my brothers and
sisters and found them looking around as mystified as I was at what
to do next.
School was now in session. An adult was the
first to show us the technique to be used. He sprinted in toward
the remains at full speed. At 70 miles an hour (112 kilometers)
it is hard to see much less stop an attack if you were a victim
of an Eppie "dive bombing." In this case a dead whale
sized carcass was not likely to notice or care. Again, delving into
my genetic memories I could see that the tactic works well when
larger or more dangerous predators are still feeding and one must
snatch and run, or else end up in a potential life or death struggle.
The technique, developed over eons was a well-tested and successful
way to scavenge with minimal confrontations.
In this case it was just a training run since
no one really contested the food source. The dive-bombing sortie
is launched at a specific target; usually any piece of offal that
would fit in a family member's mouth.
Grabbing a likely morsel on the run the adult
maintained his awesome speed until he looped back out to where we
youngsters were watching in the circle formed by the family more
than a hundred yards out. He dropped the reward at our feet to show
us what he had acquired. Lesson number one in the strategy for survival
had been demonstrated. Other family members took their turn as we
babies watched. After a while I was ready to take a try at this.
How hard can it be? Run like heck and grab a piece of lunch and
keep going.
I started fighting and large eyes looked directly
at me. I was given the okay and so took off as fast as I could go
and proud to be the first. Top speed, watch for sticks. Here is
a good place to bite next to the tail and I grab. I stop as fast
as I started as I am slammed into the rotting flesh. I shake myself
off as I arise and realize that I tried to take too big a bite and
so yo-yoed into the carcass. Ashamed I look back as my parents look
at my siblings to make sure they understood the lesson. No harm
done, this is only a drill with no dangerous competitors around
to snatch up a dumb baby Eppie. I trot back to the end of the line
and watch to see who will go next.
But now chance intervenes. Lumbering up from
the south was a very dangerous adversary which I know would be called
an Ictusaurus if any zoologists were around to do the naming. This
was a medium sized fast carnivore and a dangerous opponent. Normally
Ictus also hunt as a family so this specimen must be either an older
outcast or very young male in search of a territory. They were wolf
like carnivores who hunted in much the same fashion as the long
extinct mammals did. My zoologist training comes to the front and
I know that originally the Ictusaurus family was from the Basiliscus
lizard line. A whole family of Ictus would be a very dangerous situation
for us, although the adults could easily outdistance them if they
needed to. One individual was no match for a family of eppies, still
it was maybe too drastic for our young family's first lesson and
my parents decided not to have a confrontation. Still we were instructed
by our parents' body language to pay attention to everything that
happened.
One of the younger adults quickly herded us
out over the dunes and toward the safety of the inland grasses where
our speed would prevail if things went wrong. The other family members
spread out on an intercept course toward the approaching predator.
The commotion of the young Eppies leaving caused movement in the
grasses and the Ictu changed direction to investigate for potential
prey.
This immediately triggered the both our parents
into charging him at full speed. A collision seemed likely and he
braced for impact but at the last minute they veered off. One by
one or in pairs the lone predator was dive bombed by the remaining
protective family members. His attention now diverted to more pressing
matters he did not notice that the rest of the family had circled
him widely and was head back south toward our communal home after
watching the tactics displayed by the other family members in this
threat situation.
After several more runs at the thoroughly confused
predator and as if on cue the rest of the Exossopraedators made
a mass charges at the frustrated and Ictusaurus and then sprinted
south to rejoin the rest of us. The potentially dangerous confrontation
had turned into a standoff and a good first lesson for the young
ones.
Anything can and often does happen on any given
day and this day ended just as it started, at the communal nest.
Other families came back in each with their own unspoken stories,
but adventure and learning opportunities were a daily occurrence.
All in all it had been a very busy and informative day for the families.
Other days would be similar. I knew there would be good days and
not so good days. There would be feasts and there would be famine.
There was even bound to be tragedies at points along the way. Lessons
always required some to pay the price of learning. But the story
and the family would go on. It was all part of making the Eppie
family stronger and more able to cope with the everyday job of surviving
in this fascinating world of the Future I keep finding myself in.
More Future Reptiles
It was an early spring day started and the bright orange
sun was slowly peaking over the eastern horizon. There was very
little noise to be heard near the dark and tranquil lakeshore. The
usual early morning fog drifted tendrils in and out of the trees,
which grew so close to the water. Large slow drops of water plopped
down from branches and leaves higher up and were reminders of the
late rains from yesterday evening. As the night shift went to their
various caves, burrows, and hiding places the morning shift of local
inhabitants were just starting their search for this morning's breakfast.
It was still quite cold near the water, but
this would change as the day wore on. Even the buzzing insects had
not gotten up to speed yet. It would be another couple of hours
before the frenetic scramble would really shift into high gear.
Peaceful tranquility was the rule early in the day. This morning,
however, there was going to be a change of routines. For today was
the day when the new King would make his appearance for the first
time in his unsuspecting kingdom.
The first sign that he was arriving was a series
of ripples in the distance. These ripples soon became waves washing
the shore and finally a showering cascade of water droplets as I
arrived in a rainbow of color on the wide sandy beach.
What am I doing here I asked myself. And I got
no answer. Water continued to flow down my entire heavily muscled
18 foot body and disappeared into the sand as I looked at my body
in amazement. My tail arched out of the lake as if proclaiming "I
have arrived." My head stood an impressive 10 feet above the
sand on upright legs and was counterbalanced by my powerful tail.
A golden green color was much the same color as the surrounding
growth of waterside plants and my outlines was broken up with brown
and rust stripes that made me almost impossible to see if I was
standing still in the lush undergrowth around me.
Okay, what's going on. I know this is some kind
of a dream or something, but I have never had one this real. And
yet it didn't feel exactly real either. Something felt wrong. I
had had dinosaur dreams before, what kid hadn't? And yet no dinosaur
ever live that looked like this. Of that and nothing else I was
sure.
After taking few moments to survey my surroundings
I was sure this was not in the past. These plants were familiar
but unrecognizable. I realized suddenly that I could smell these
botanical creations both individually and as a group. The sensations
hit me like a blow to the head and I wobbled a little until I got
control of my new body again. Better drop back to automatic pilot
until I sort this all out. Also better get off this beach in case
there is something nastier than I appeared to be walking around
looking for breakfast. I quietly slipped into the vegetation surrounding
this narrow but long lake. It was in the middle of what looked like
a semi tropical South American forest.
As I blended seamlessly into this vegetation
I marveled at the grace and strength this incredible body that I
was wearing possessed. When I stopped trying to override this body's
command I found these unusual feelings that nearly overcame me were
easier to handle. What I was calling autopilot seemed to be some
sort of instincts the body possessed. And then if I overruled them
and took charge I seemed to be using my native intelligence.
How interesting. When I was back in school I
remember studying how some reptiles like monitor lizards, tegu's
and pythons have demonstrated this dual kind of behavior. So this
creature apparently had these same abilities, only it was my intelligence
directing anything that the instincts couldn't handle. I test this
theory out several times and it seemed to work. And right now my
instincts were telling me I am hungry.
Great, what did I eat? My tongue tells me that
my teeth are very sharp. Okay, probably a carnivore. But do I run
my meal down like a great cat or wait and ambush it like a Komodo
dragon does? Better turn this over to autopilot. Or rather instincts.
Okay, I stop between two bushes that look like rubber trees. Not
a muscle quivers. Half an hour goes by and not a move, but no food
either. How long do I wait? This second-guessing could drive me
wild. Maybe this creature that is me has been programmed for patience
but my intellect has not. Wait, what's that?
The first to pay tribute to my hunger was a
small lizard-like insectivore hunting for his own breakfast. This
lizard was in a hurry to get down to the water where insects could
now be heard droning. He failed to notice the new growth by the
edge of the well-trod pathway. With lightning like speed I lunged
onto the path and snatched this dog sized creature in my mouth.
Crunch, shake, crunch, violent shake, chew, chew and I had a dead
something in my mouth. Head tilted toward the sky, jaws unhinged
slightly and a convulsive swallow and I had a start on breakfast.
Not quite a full meal the regal tyrant I was but a good start. And
it didn't cost me a dime. McDonald's, eat your heart out. This was
the start of an interesting adventure. Guess it's time to wake up
now.
Hmmm. Nothing happening here. Guess I'm not
in charge of this dream or whatever it is. I settle down on my muscular
haunches to wait for what happens next. And shortly, the next target
of opportunity comes along. With my almost perfect camouflage it
wasn't long before it was time to rest on a full stomach. What do
I do now? Most reptiles look for some patch of sun or a warm rock
to help digest meals the most efficiently so I guess I'll try the
same. But I notice that I am not a slave of the temperature around
me. Maybe I'm warm blooded like mammals or dinosaurs from long ago.
I wonder exactly when this is supposed to be taking place. This
sure seems to be Earth and my instincts seem to confirm this thought.
And yet I don't feel all that comfortable with all that meat inside
me. Okay, l am just guessing now but maybe I'm not totally cold
blooded and not totally warm blooded. This could be interesting
if true. Possessing most of the best qualities of both lifestyles
would make me a very impressive creature. When there was a good
reason for it that means I can slow down my metabolism and thus
conserve energy or get more from less. And then within a relatively
short period of time I should be able to revert to a high energy
warm-blooded creature, although my eating requirements would go
up equally fast. Oh well, all life is a trade off of various functions
versus varies penalties. In this I may be much more like the ancient
dinosaur ancestors of the birds than the more recent lizards of
my time.
What was most interesting to me right now was
my ability to quickly assess and then understand much about this
world. It was almost if I was getting some coaching from an unknown
source. Fine, I'll take it until I figure out what is going on here.
Somehow right then I knew with a chilling certainty
that I was definitely on Earth. But far into Earth's future. Was
mankind still around? What was this Earth like? Was I one of the
dominant creatures here or were there nasty surprises in store for
me? My new body seemed pretty confident. I just hoped I could trust
these instincts.
Several hours later I'm draped over a log just
up slope from the creek which flows into the eastern end of this
nameless lake. I wasn't really hungry again but something inside
me felt the urged to get up and start exploring this new territory
while my energy level was at a peak.
My instincts told me that I was a creature of
voracious and non-discriminating appetite. And that it took a lot
of food to keep my 1,500 pounds on the go. Luckily I knew I was
not fussy in what I would eat and very good a finding my next meal.
Ripe fruit, carrion, fish, bird, and even other reptiles were fair
game to my hunting prowess. I could hunt on the ground, in the water,
or anywhere edible food could be found. This was good since it could
have been 25 million years since packaged microwave meals had gone
extinct. Looking at my impressive claws it would seem that microwave
cooking wasn't going to be in my future even if I could find one.
I also knew that as a day time predator I relied
mostly on my eyes, ears, and sense of smell/taste to locate meals.
I had tried out my legs earlier and found that my speed was mostly
of the quick burst type. I tired quickly and relied on the fact
that I could go through most heavy forest growth while my prey had
to go around or over and thus were initially slower in escaping
then they would have been in open ground. I was definitely in my
element in this type of cover. Interesting that I was getting to
experience for myself what I had only observed or suspected when
studying animals as a zoologist in my other life. My other life.
I could clearly remember myself but found myself really starting
to merge with this new experience. Going with the flow or is this
all a super dream of some kind. Oh well, I'll just see where this
all goes.
As I wandered back toward the area around the
lake the scientist in me noted that it was composed of dense semi
tropical trees competing for sunlight like down near Alamos, Mexico.
There was just enough light reaching the forest floor here to provide
a fierce competition for available space and the undergrowth was
thick. The exception was the well-beaten trails toward the water
that also seemed to extend around the lake. I decided to scout the
perimeter of this watery basin to see the terrain and survey my
new kingdom. My instincts told me we were also looking at available
prey. Moving by instinct in a clockwise direction I soon came upon
several interesting scents. My long tongue, which I now noticed,
was forked, flicked in and out of my mouth, as I tasted these new
stimuli. Suddenly a long drawn out hiss escapes from my powerful
jaws. My whole body sent tense and I started to shake. Something
was wrong. And that something was what? Oh, better let my instincts
take over. Danger/opportunity. There was another of my kind near
by. But not close. The scent was faint. My thoughts were that this
was intolerable. My fighting instincts were never far from the surface,
it seemed, and I was prepared to unleash them. Again testing the
air I decided they were stronger toward the slowly setting sun that-a-way
and so started off in a rapid shuffle. I felt I was ready for anything
in this new body as I settled into a brisk walking pace in the direction
where I knew I would find another of my kind. But then my intellect
started working over this situation. What if my adversary was much
bigger or more skillful at fighting? And do we fight to the death
or just check each other out and the loser walks away. There more
questions than I had ready answers for. Okay, let's go get some
answers.
Normally I was a silent hunter, but my instincts
made no pretense of subtly now. I wasn't sure this was the wisest
course but didn't know how to stop this machine that my instincts
made me. Hearing me coming, all the other denizens of the area scurried
quickly away from the paths I was using and into the surrounding
vegetation toward safety. If I was in a hunting mood they would
have been followed tenaciously through dense foliage, across streams,
into burrows, and even up larger trees until my determination and
ferocity caught up with them or they totally eluded me. That was
the way. Nothing stopped this incredible biological; hunting machine
in its search for a meal or turned it away from a kill once it had
it. It didn't matter to it if some other creature had made the kill.
It only knew that it must be his and so it was. This was his mood
now as I searched for the adversary my senses told me lay at the
end of this scent trail. The tell tale molecules lingering in the
air told me that I was getting closer to the confrontation that
could be bloody and violent. Was this what I wanted. Part of me
screamed yes, but another part said wait a minute here.
The closer I approached my target, though, the
stranger the scent became and the more prepared I was to do violence.
Okay, its take control now or never get the chance. I stopped to
let some of the fight hormones clear from my body. My head was pounding
and a haze momentarily overcame my vision. Wow, just like getting
out of a fight back in junior high. Excess hormone backlash. Slowly
I got my body and instincts under control. I was determined not
to rush into this.
Sure enough, I was getting conflicting readings.
Something was wrong. I needed to scout this situation out. Something
was not right with this scent. I stopped and tasted the lingering
aroma again. My tongue flicked in and out of my mouth several times
rapidly until I knew what was wrong. There were actually two related
odors. A male of my kind and a female. Her pheromones said she was
a young female about to come into heat and she should be just up
ahead.
But where was the male. Across the shallow stream
and up the slope beyond I continued searching. No, the scent was
weaker. This was the wrong way. Quickly backtracking I turned up
the stream. Yes, this tasted right. Another hundred feet and I could
barely see a small clearing. There she was, sunning herself on a
granite boulder jutting out over the gurgling stream. She was magnificent.
She was highly desirable. My instincts screamed to go to her and
if the other male got in the way to chase him off, to fight savagely
for this queen. The sight and scent of her made me expand my awareness
and desire multiple times. I must have her. She is everything I
need in life. To me she is life.
Was this my instincts or intellect talking?
Maybe both. But I can't give in to this rutting instinct. I had
to be careful in this unknown situation. But I wanted her now. Nevertheless,
my cautious approach won out.
I decided to circle the clearing and see if
I could find the other male. Slowly and quietly I started the search.
I was almost back to where I had started when a slight rustle behind
me alerted me to his presence. I must turn and attack the one who
stood between my queen and me. Instead of doing what my instincts
said I quickly burst out in a sprint for the stream just below me.
I could hear him right behind me. He was breathing hard but not
gaining on me.
Dodge the tree, jump the log, and plow through
the bushes. Almost to the water. There, as I hit the water a blinding
spray hid me for the instant I needed. Flipping onto my back I pointed
my deadly hind feet in the direction I knew he would be coming from.
Sure enough, he dived straight to where he thought my fleeing back
would be in the water spray. Instead he found massive six-inch claws
which instantly raked his tender underside with long deep gashes
before he was cart wheeled over the stream to land on his back among
the thick bushes lining the bank. A classical karate maneuver except
the claw bonus points.
Turning the fight over to instincts I found
myself rushing over to him while he was still untangling himself
from the shrubbery. Now I closed my massive jaws over the back of
his neck and started to bite. Instantly he stopped struggling and
collapsed limply to the ground. To my surprise I didn't bite down.
Instead I shook his limp form a few times and then stopped.
The entire fight had been soundless until now.
My foe emitted a high whining sound that I new meant defeat. One
more shake and I released my hold but didn't move away. My former
antagonist slowly started crawling away from me. After about ten
feet of progress he stood up and shook himself free of debris and
looked at me. He made a slight bow of his head to acknowledge my
victory and then without further action simply turned and strode
off into the forest away from the clearing and me.
Her head came up quickly when she saw me. She
was larger than my own body I now knew as were most females of our
species. Standing upright on stiff legs she clearly showed me her
majestic size. Partially this was to impress me, but equally important
I knew was to warn me in case I had any ideas of attacking.
She was truly what I had waited all my life
to find. What am I thinking? She is a giant lizard, not a blond
on the Riviera beach. No, a voice whispered inside my head, she
is your mate. She is your other half and your true love. Go to her
and become complete. Where once you were incomplete now you will
be whole. The two shall be one. What matters the body, look at that
soul.
Okay, I guess I can do that I thought to myself.
My breath hissed out from between my sharp carnivore teeth. I almost
dropped to the ground at the sight of the slender in front of me.
Swirling rainbow colors that somehow I knew I could wrap myself
in and complement. She really was my opposite half. I had never
experienced this kind of feeling. It was part desperate longing
and part hopeful rapture. It was clear to me that the form mattered
not. I must go to her. My instincts kicked back in.
I now approached her bobbing my head and upper
body up and down, up and down. She watched me cautiously from atop
her bolder. Slowly, but then with more vigor as she warmed up, she
started returning my bows and then suddenly jumped down beside me
on the soft forest floor. Nipping each other's shoulders and slowly
turning in circles we started what I knew was the prelude to the
mating acceptance dance. It must be done just perfectly and not
just the moves. It gave us a chance to look at each other's souls
and see if we were compatible. I knew we were. But would she? I
never wanted someone more in my life, human or otherwise.
Apparently she had sensed some flaw in her other
suitor and turned him down flat. But he was large and so had hung
around to drive off other would be suitors. And he had done so apparently
for some time. Until my unexpected tactics had turned the tables
and allowed me to try my dance for her.
Now it was the female who quickened the pace
as she became satisfied with my so far ritual advances. She now
started a courtship dance that was elaborate and difficult. She
was incredible, I knew I couldn't hope to match this skill. This
passion. Okay, I've got to try. Acting strictly via instinct I matched
her move for move, but I could see she was starting to lose interest.
Worse yet she was getting ready to drive me away like she had the
other male.
No go, I said to myself. Wait, I'll bet she
never saw the bossa nova before. I didn't know if I could do it
in this new body. But I had nothing to lose. Step, step, bow, bow.
Step, whirl, bow. What the heck, let's let it all go. I danced my
frustration, my need for a true love, my loneliness, and my hopes.
I threw everything I had into it. I danced until I was ready to
drop. She watched me closely and silently.
And then she bowed to me and clicked her teeth.
I knew that meant she was impressed. Back on instincts and we went
side by side and started the mating ritual.
After a fast and furious few minutes we completed
the eons old dance and just like that became a mated pair. The new
king had his queen. My instincts told me we would stay together
for several days while repeating the dances and mating rituals several
more times and becoming bonded before we mated. I wondered just
what that would be like and then suddenly I did wake up to the sound
of low and deep laughter. Where was it coming from? |