Inspired by some other artists, I decided to do a drawing-a-day exercise to keep me occupied through the uneventful days of dead week. Rather than submit them separately I decided to lump them together in one pick. I even went through the trouble of naming them and making up some biological background:

Monday- The Narbo Ripper: This little mess of jaws and teeth is native to the planet Nahee, and resides in the forests of the Narbo sub-continent. Despite it's ferocious appearance these creatures are quite timid, and survive mostly on small animals and large insects, but are most attracted to the sweet aroma of putrefying flesh. Since the stench tends to attract other, bigger patrons the Ripper will use its razor-sharp teeth to rip huge chunks of meat from the carcass until it fills its disproportionate maw to capacity. Then it will use its powerful legs to carry its supper to a safe location before gorging itself. The inside of male Rippers' mouths are brightly colored and lined with intricate patterns. During the mating season male Rippers gather in large groups and open their colorful maws as wide as they can in the hopes of attracting a female (pictured above). Some Rippers have been seen dislocating their jaws in order to show off the full splendor of the inside of their mouths.

Tuesday- The Habari Tunneler - A common sight to miners and prospectors on Habari, these rock-munching behemoths are considered a helpful beast and a nuisance in equal measure. Most often found in mineral-rich clay deposits and rock quarries, these slug-like creatures spend their days tunneling through rock and soil feasting on whatever minerals it happens to bump into. It uses it's massive mandibles to crush rocks into manageable chunks and pull them into its expansive stomach, while a constant stream of acidic urine helps it tunnel even through solid rock. The Tunneler is both loved and despised by miners; loved for its sizable tunnels, which save the labor of digging new ones and its mere presence almost always indicating the presence of valuable minerals. The only trouble is getting to the minerals before it does. Tunnelers have also been known to tunnel straight into mining camps' storage facilities and feast on the unprocessed ores, destroying months of work. Habari Tunnelers are hermaphroditic.

Wednesday- The Omas Floater: These aerial mollusks spend their entire lives falling through the gaseous skies of Omas. Omas is a gas-giant with very weak gravity and a thick oxygen rich atmosphere and is home to some of the largest, most beautiful, and strangest creatures ever recorded. As a Floater slowly drifts downward, carried aloft by the winds and their gas-filled bladders, it catches smaller animals and food particles in its sticky-tentacles, much like a Terran Jellyfish. As it grows older, a Floater's bladders grow larger and fill with eggs and sperm. Once they are filled, the Floater ruptures its own gas bladders with a powerful muscle spasm and jettison clouds of eggs and sperm, carried upwards by the warm winds and thermals to the upper atmosphere. There, fertilization takes place and the process begins anew. The adults however, with no gases to hold them up, fall to certain doom to the planet surface.

Thursday- Cauranan Harvester: On the world of Het' Pha, the vast Caurana plains cover almost a fifth of its landmass. The plains are home to the spindle-limbed Harvesters, massive herbivores, constantly on the move in search of fresh feeding grounds. Harvesters feed on almost anything that's green and has leaves, grass, shrubs, anything. Harvesters use their long spindly limbs to tear down high branches and topple whole trees, using their massive jaw muscles to munch through the branches and trunk. During the mating season, male Harvesters (pictured above) use the large spike at the end of their tail to fight other males for the right to mate.

Friday- Omas Seraphim: Like the Floater and most of Omas' lifeforms, Seraphim spend their entire lives in the air. These massive yet graceful creatures glide through the cloud cover of Omas, carried aloft by the series of gas-filled bladders on their underbellies and the beating of their huge fins. Being the largest life form of Omas, it's diet consists of pretty much every other life form, its favorite snack however being the Floater. Seraphim use a form of echolocation to locate their prey and then it is a simple matter of gulping the hapless creature out of the air. New born Seraphim are born tethered to their mothers via their umbilicals, which continues to provide nourishment to the youngster. Once it's gas bladders and fins are fully developed, it detaches from its mother and takes its first solo flight. The juveniles (picture above) remain close to their mother for a few more years before departing on its own.

Saturday- Iokian Marsh Leaper: These creatures are very common on the world of Iok, populating almost every wetland, marsh, and swamp. With their highly developed legs they leap staggering distances from tree to tree, vine to vine, pond to pond in search of food. Marsh Leapers are omnivorous, feeding on plant shoots, eggs, insects, tubers, etc. Leapers are naturally curious and possess a keen intellect, making them the favorite study subjects of psychology researchers and their social and playful behavior make them a favorite of wildlife researchers as well. Leapers group themselves in troupes, each led by the dominant male (pictured above) and female.

Sunday- Lorn Pusher: The planet of Lorn is home to some of the tallest mountains and longest mountain chains ever seen. Many a rock climber and adventurer look to Lorn as a kind of Mecca, aspiring to ascend its peaks and traverse its rugged landscape. Many Lorn veterans tell stories of their arduous ascent up shear rock walls, over shifting fields of sheet stone, and the oxygen-deprived euphoria of planting their foot on the highest rock of the highest peak. Lorn veterans also tell humorous accounts of the Lorn Pusher. This hardy, rock-hide insect makes its home on the rock ledges of Lorn's mountains, feeding on the moss growing on the rocks and any small animal it manages to catch. It is a fiercely territorial creature and will defend it's ledge by pushing the interloper off. Mountaineers would tell how as they reached for a hand hold, the rock would suddenly spring to life and push their hand away. During the mating season, groups of females (pictured above) gather around a ledge and release streams of pheromones from the spires on their backs. The rounder males are attracted by the pheromones and come seeking the females. As they gather, a game of king-of-the-hill takes place, with the males trying to push each other off of the ledge. The spectacle is said to be quite hilarious to watch by those lucky enough to have seen it.