KT - Gehenna's Menagerie

KT - The Frying Pan's Fauna

Here is a collage of several beasts dwelling dessiccated Mediterranean basin during Gehennian Salinity Crisis in K.T comics. Most of these animals' ancestor were originally "autocthonous" (i.e native) of Mediterranean area, except the alligator turtle and coypu (Myocastor coypus), once imported by man in Europe for commercial purpose and then spread through Mediterranean. Their Gehennian descendants are not depicted here by the way. This picture is only a sample of Gehenna's fauna, it does not depict all the diversity actually recorded.
The faunaforms of Gehenna include a notable number of evolved reptiles (for evolved we mean "diversified") that have experienced quick radiative evolution, i.e. diversification into several forms adapted to different environments and conditions. Among most interesting cases we notice two main evolutionary events within reptiles collected under an only term: the Crocodile-Monitor Event. This event has brought the Nile Crocodile to expand its home range as Mediterranean salinity dropped during dessiccation and to reach also SouthEastern Italy's coastline til the isobath was allowing. Gehenna's crocodile appear highly adapted to terrestrial environments as in early-late Cretaceous and Tertiary's beginning, both with quadrupedal hunters (see Karst Killer, but viewable here and with (incredible) bipedal carnosaur-like plunderers (see the Kasai Rex).
On the other hand monitor lizards have experienced a similar diversification, without reaching notable sizes but achieving astonishing kind of convergent evolution: that kind of radiative evolution that has brought, for example, birds, pterosaurs and bats to look like each other as flying forms. Gehennian monitor lizards includes lizard-like grazers and insect hunters (the Antwhiper) but also raptor-like predators (the Jackrippers) and kangaroo-like jumpers (Kangoannas) have to be accounted. Another example is the Camel Fat Monitor, a stout but placid plant eater with fat and water reservoirs.
Other notable reptiles of Gehenna are the little Dune Runner, a small insect-eating bipedal lizard descended from former Mediterranean basilisks and wall lizards and the Tyrrenika's Strangler, a long anaconda-like skink lizard with shrunken limbs able to kill its preys in the same way boa constrictor does. This one is the only reptile limited to moist environments as those occurring around Tyrrenika's Lakesea.
Of course so do mammals and birds occupy ecological niches in Gehenna, playing significant roles both as preys and both as scavengers. The only bird here depicted is the Thunderbird a kid-sized running kite, mostly carrion eater rather active predator.
Amongst mammals we mention the cow-sized Fear Hog, a scavenging swine with wild boar as ancestor, mostly occurring along Western Italian dessiccated seaways. Then the most important prey of Kasai Rex follows, the Gehenna Giant Camel, as tall as an elephant and with at least three (but sometimes more) humps.
There is also an interesting leaping grazer, the Chamoizelle, a gazelle with robust limbs able to jump upon hard basalt reliefs of Gehenna's sea basin.
Less evolved but ever notable is the Salar's Porcupine, a rodent with extremely long and thin spines able to collect water mist in the air and thus soothe harsh thirst of this animal.
More dangerous ones are the Venomrat, a wild shrew with poison in its canine teeth, and the Sandshark, a hairless mole with sharp teeth digging in loose sand and lurking to catch preys.
Each beast above mentioned has its own number in the picture.

1) - Tyrrenika's Strangler (Tyrrhenophis siris)
2) - Dune Runner (Rapidens eremi)
3) - Antwhiper (Saurotamandua waral)
4) - Thunderbird (Deinobuteo stymphalius)
5) - Common Venomrat (Viromys vipera)
6) - Salar's Porcupine (Xericodactylus amenthi)
7) - Sand Shark (Psammotherium infidum)
8) - Jackripper (Sicarius sicarius)
9) - Kasai Rex (Qaynosaurus atrox)
10) - Kangoanna (Basispheniasaurus)
11) - Fear Hog (Phobosus fuhrai)
12) - Gehenna Giant Camel (Camelus (Hypsicamelus) goliath)
13) - Chamoizelle (Gazella titan)
14) - Fat Monitor (Hyblorhynchus notopachys)

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