Editing Wickerbeast (section)

== Biology ==

The WickerCave website maintains extensive canonical biological documentation for the species:

=== Physical Characteristics ===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Feature !! Details
|-
| '''Body Type''' || Reptilian-troll hybrid; heavily muscled; wide size range
|-
| '''Weight''' || 200 to 4,000 pounds depending on subtype
|-
| '''Speed''' || 25–35 mph (powerful hind legs and thighs)
|-
| '''Skeleton''' || Dense compact bone; 20% of total body weight; supports enormous mass
|-
| '''Jaw''' || Locking jaw mechanism; serrated teeth (shark-like at back edge); slightly acidic saliva with numbing properties
|-
| '''Eyes''' || Pupil-less; single color or gradient hue; UV light vision; retro-reflection at night (some glow in the dark); sensitive at birth
|-
| '''Blood''' || Matches eye color; if gradient eyes, blood is one of the two colors
|-
| '''Claws''' || Claws are the actual fingers; bone core + keratin sheath; grow until adulthood then stop; can be sharpened or painted
|-
| '''Horns''' || Max two sets (4 horns); same shape per set; keratin over bone; regrow over 3–6 years if broken; fully grown by age 3–4
|-
| '''Tail''' || One long thick muscle; used as weapon (whip/club); enables sharp turns; can cause paralysis or death
|-
| '''Tongue''' || Forked (hereditary) or pointed; numbing saliva coating
|-
| '''Wings''' || '''None''' — body too heavy; Aerion subtype can glide only
|-
| '''Vocalizations''' || Alligator-like rumbles; clicking sounds; corvid-like mimicry
|}

=== Lifespan & Reproduction ===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Stage !! Age Range
|-
| Childhood || Ages 1–4
|-
| Teenage || Ages 5–10
|-
| Young Adult || Ages 10–20
|-
| Mature Adult || Age 20+
|-
| Maximum Lifespan || 150–200 years
|}

Wickerbeasts are oviparous (egg-laying). Mainland clutches produce 5–6 eggs; swamp wickers 2–5. Incubation: 14–40 days. Different subtypes cannot produce hybrid offspring — the egg will be one subtype or the other.

=== Hereditary Diseases ===

* '''Sphinx Syndrome''' — Born hairless and deaf; pale wrinkled skin; horns typically small or brittle; requires hearing aids, armor, and sign language communication; risk of inheritance increases 25% if a Sphinx wicker reproduces
* '''Berserker's Disease''' — Develops from years of severe malnutrition; causes permanent aggression, poor cognition, mania, and sleep loss; becomes hereditary if a pregnant female is affected