taming companion Giant Porcupine – Hystrix Gigantea – taming companion

[Lowly]

Giant Porcupine – Hystrix Gigantea – taming companion

About

The Hystrix Gigantea or H. Refossa is an extinct species giant porcupine 20% larger then its closest living relative, lived during the Pleistocene era, 2.5 million to 11,700 years ago, was widespread amongst Eurasia with specimens discovered in Israel, Java and northern Greece. The real world counterparts cannot spit or fire quills, with the species from the Americas being tree climbers, able to jump and swim, and the European species being mostly nocturnal and living in burrows or underground dens.

This extinct species will take from both the European and American species along with some typical ark liberties and fancifications. Some quills have been found to have antibiotic properties

Length 115cm or 45 inches, upto 40KG

Dossier

Common name: Giant Porcupine

Species: Hystrix Gigantea

Time: pleistocene

Diet: Herbivore

Temperament: Docile

 

 

Wild

Taming

the giant porcupine would be a passive tame that would need to be distracted with giant bee honey before the survivor sneaks up behind the giant porcupine to feed its favourite kibble, savaroot or berries

once tamed this creature can be carried similar to kairuku and dodos

 

Abiliites

Antibiotic Quills

A tamed Giant Porcupines quills could be harvested and used for there antibiotic properties, healing Swamp Fever, mega rabies, radiation poisoning but the quills will not be strong enough to provide immunity, thus fitting in below the already established ‘lesser antidote’ which grants immunity for a short time.

Taming Companion

a tamed one throw down next to an unconscious herbivore (or carnivore?) would be able to rub up against it and heal the herbivore through its antibiotic quills, this would not ruin taming affinity

being fed a specific diet of organic polymer and narcoberries/narcotic/biotoxin, a the quills take on a torpor applying ability allowing the tamed Giant Porcupine to be able to keep even  the largest of creatures torpor up, no longer do we need to torpor watch an unconscious giga or other fast torpor creature

Climbing Mount

Much like how the diplocaulus is not a mount unless it is in water, the Giant Porcupine can only be mounted while it is climbing. Simply throw it at a wall then hold onto its tiny saddle handles as it can climb, albeit rather slowly even during earthquakes

Base Defence

Like a lesser Velenosaur, although unrealistic, this small mount can throw its quills at enemies, and coupled with its ability to deal torpor when fed the correct diet, this works as a ranged base defence creature that can deal fast torpor and knock out any invading player or small mount

Scarer

Depending on its level a tamed Giant Porcupine can scare off small, to medium and maybe even weaker large sized creatures working as a good mount to carry around with you while on adventures, at the sign of danger, throw this guy down and he will rattle his quills creating fear in the wild creatures similar to a yutyrannus

 

Unique Items

Antibiotic Quills – will have a spoil timer and a small stack size and a short cooldown between usage to encourage players who can, to use lesser antidote and he correct armor for the job.

Quills (& Blowpipe) – along with antibiotic quills, regular hollow quills can be harvested from a wild corpse or a tamed Giant Porcupine with a sickle, these can be used ina blow pipe or longkneck rifle as tranq darts, to counter the cheaper cost to make (not needing ingots) these tranq quills will spoil In a similar fashion to shocking tranq darts

 

Sources:

https://prehistoric-fauna.com/Hystrix-refossa

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hystrix_refossa

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porcupine

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_World_porcupine

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_World_porcupine