Equestradon

Name: Equestradon
Lifespan: 25-30 years
Diet: Omnivore

Physical Description: Often described as a cousin to Earthland's quadrapedal horses, the equestradon seem almost identical in body shape, save for a few defining features, namely the mouth, forelimbs and feet.

Because they are omnivorous, equestradons mouths featuring long pointed teeth and a mouth shape similar to that of a canine. Likewise, their feet and forelimbs are also adapted to their nature as pack hunters, featuring sharp talons designed for holding prey. While their back legs are approximately the same as their equestrian cousins, their forelimbs are shorter, meant for bringing food to the equestradon's mouth.

Behavior: While wild equestradon are pack hunters, domesticated members of the species are fairly docile and friendly, often used as mounts and beasts of burden by technologically regressive societies across the galaxy. This stands in stark contrast to wild equestradons, who are seen as something of a menace, even to the nature-revering elves on their native planet, Stella.

In their natural habitat, a pack of equestradon is considered to be among the most dangerous creatures in the galaxy. Their sneaky tactics and lack of any natural predators have resulted in many unaware travelers being devoured by the vicious creatures. For this reason, it isn't uncommon for the wild equestradon population to be culled by local hunters and even foreign mercenaries, in the name of public safety.

Habitat: Wild equestradons roam the plains, grasslands and some of the more sparse jungle areas. However, outside of Stella, it's fairly rare to find packs of equestradon, with those outside their home planet tending towards a solitary lifestyle. This is due, in part, to the fact that while on Stella, the equestradon has no natural predators, on other planets, large vicious beasts hunt down equestradon packs, tracking the beasts thanks to their large numbers. Of particular note is the Zheng, a tiger-like beast which has historically been used to cull equestradons and other man-eating beasts.