Syncerison Bohsemot : Behemoth
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Family: | Bovidae |
| Genera: | Syncerison |
| Species: | Bohsemot |
15 Look now at the behemoth, which I made along with you; he eats grass like an ox. 16 See now, his strength is in his hips, and his power is in his stomach muscles ... 23 Indeed the river may rage, yet he is not disturbed; He is confident, though the Jordan gushes into his mouth, 24 though he takes it in his eyes, or one pierces his nose with a snare. Job 40:15-16, 23-24 (NKJV)
The Behemoth
In most herds, 2 adult males share leadership and trade mating rights every 3 years. An alpha female mates with both adult males, and is responsible for culling individuals every few years to keep the herd small. The rest of the herd is comprised of a few mating-age females, and a few younglings. Gestation takes 14-18 months, although the alpha female is believed to be capable of retaining a fetus for up to 20 months before either losing it or giving birth.
Females mature around the age of 5-6 years, while males are actually sterile until around 7-8 years. Males may become potent as early as 4 years, however, if they begin mating early and mate frequently. This generally only occurs when a herd is significantly reduced in a short period of time, particularly when one or both of the lead males die.
Territory & Feeding
Of vast size and heavy build, the behemoth is a singularly powerful but entirely vegetarian creature. With its 6 legs the behemoth is able to cover incredible distances without stopping, although speeds greater than approximately 20-24 mph even for extremely short distances is virtually unheard of. With such bulk, however, speed is hardly necessary; in fact, the behemoth tends to simply amble while eating almost constantly. It generally sleeps standing up, and rarely for more than an hour at a time. Like many grazing animals, the behemoth spends most of its life eating.
Unlike the majority of grazing animals, however, herds of behemoth are generally no more than 10 individuals. This ensures the areas through which the behemoth move aren't stripped entirely in a matter of days, by which time the behemoth have usually moved on anyway. Like giraffe, antelope, and other saharan-living animals, the behemoth feeds not only on grass but also on a wide variety of leaves, twigs, bushes, and even small trees.
Prey & Predator
As essentially a large buffalo, the behemoth is a confirmed herbivore. Its size ensures it remains largely unmolested by other creatures, and in fact it's said that the roar of the behemoth can lessen the ferocity of nearby predators. Although no direct evidence of this has been found, the general demeanor of predators in any region through which behemoth move is decidedly calmer than usual.
When threatened, the herd, lead males included, surround the young facing outward. While the herd defends the young with horns, powerful shoulders, and sharp front hooves the alpha female circles the defensive ring. She actively attacks predators on site, even herding them aggresively towards the ring to trap them against a virtually impassable wall where she can stamp them to death.