Species 2

Morphology: Individuals of species 2 exhibit extreme sexual dimorphism. Females are 4 meters tall and 20 meters long, while males are 50 cm tall and 2 meters long. Adult female individuals of species 2 are some of the largest organisms on Kepler-442 b.  Additionally, females live about 6 times as long as males. Besides reproductive organs, size, and lifespan, both sexes of species 2 are practically the same. They have a long (relative to body size), muscular head with osteoderm-like armor covering the topside. A large eye is located near the center of both sides of the head. They have no auditory sense, and they breathe and smell through tiny holes in their shells. Females have a small reproductive organ located on the bottom of the head, near the body. This organ grows larger during mating season. Males have a reproductive organ located inside their shell. Their bodies consist of a large, thick shell and stumpy legs on each side of the body. Males have 6 legs, while females have 9 legs. These legs have the same osteoderm-like armor as the head. Both sexes feed through a proboscis-like organ that extends from the tip of their head. This organ pierces into the limbs of species 1, extracting nutrients and energy. This organ is also used to expel waste. 

Behavior: Species 2 will typically travel in packs of 10-15, with 1 female and multiple males. Once a female reaches sexual maturity, a horde of males will start to follow it. These males move much faster than the female, so they will be on the lookout for food and predators, alerting the female immediately if anything is detected. When predator(s) attack, female individuals of species 2 will curl their heads in such a way that the predator does not have access to the softer parts of their body. Male individuals of species 2 will run and hide as they can move much faster and do not have as much protective armor on their heads. In the event a female is caught off guard and cannot protect itself in time, the males will try to distract the predator until the female is able to curl up. In many cases, this ends up with over half of the males in the pack dying. 

Reproduction: Species 2 reproduces sexually once per Kepler-442 b year. The fertilization process happens when males open their shell and attach to the reproductive organ on the bottom of the female’s neck. The female will then lay 4-5 (per male) armored reproductive bodies (akin to eggs on Earth) after around 25 hours, which hatch after 48 hours. One litter has 0-1 females and 4-5 males. This process repeats until all males have mated with the female. 

Development: The group of males will watch and raise their male offspring for about 3 months before letting them go. Males will reach sexual maturity and will be fully grown after around 6 months and 8 months, respectively. Males will join a new pack once they reach sexual maturity. Females will stay with their mother for 1-2 Kepler-442 b. Females will be fully grown and reach sexual maturity around 4 Kepler-442 b years. Females can live upwards of 25 Kepler-442 b years, while males live upwards of 4 Kepler-442 b years.

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