Timeless Bestiary: Greater Valantúr (Greater Suncrest Antelope)PronunciationGreater valantúr (or gre

Timeless Bestiary: Greater Valantúr (Greater Suncrest Antelope)PronunciationGreater valantúr (or greater suncrest antelope, greater eclipse antelope, greater star antelope) are the largest of the suncrest antelopes.Their varying names derive from the large, round ossicones present on the males of the species, which are said to resemble the sun. The females possess ossicones as well, but they’re much smaller, and do not have a circular shape. Females are also slightly smaller than males.Diurnal herbivores, greater valantúr spend the majority of their waking day grazing on the abundant grasses of the steppe. As with most herbivorous animals, greater valantúr are shy, preferring to flee from danger rather than fighting it. They live in massive herds, typically with over a thousand individuals, spreading across the vast expanse of the steppe and the northern grasslands. Within the gigantic herds, there are several smaller groups, usually of females and their calves, but sometimes there are bachelor herds of young males trying to find their place in the valantúr hierarchy.Rut season happens in the height of summer. During the rut, adult males will demark their own territories within the herd, and try to take control of the female groups, with which they will mate. Males will try chase rivals away from their territories, but sometimes fights for dominance happen. These combats don’t last long, and a single headbutt and lock of the forward-facing prongs on their ossicone crests is enough to make one of the opponents flee.Greater valantúr are a migratory species. At the end of autumn, when the cold winds begin to blow more strongly, the massive herds will move south, to the warmer borders of the southern forests, and will come back to the steppe only at the beginning of spring, when the females will give birth to a single calf. Rarely, one female can give birth to twinsThis behavior, combined with their unique, sun-shaped crest, makes them important figures in the culture of the Varanar who inhabit the steppe. Greater valantúr are said to be the harbingers of spring, bringing back the warmth with their herds. To Varanar, spring officially begins when the first valantúr returns to the grassland. Many Varanar clans will gather to watch the arrival of the herds in a big multi-clan festival that lasts for many days and includes the first hunt of the returned valantúr. -- source link
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