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Description
One of the first creature designs I did for my Martian Fauna project was the Banth from Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom novels - described as a 10-legged Martian lion. I thought it would be fun to do another pass at it with my current sensibilities in creature design. I won't be going through and redoing all the Martian animals I've done so far, but expect future versions to differ slightly from the ones I already posted.

“The banth is a fierce beast of prey that roams the low hills surrounding the dead seas of ancient Mars. Like nearly all Martian animals it is almost hairless, having only a great bristly mane about its thick neck.

Its long, lithe body is supported by ten powerful legs, its enormous jaws are equipped, like those of the calot, or Martian hound, with several rows of long needle-like fangs; its mouth reaches to a point far back of its tiny ears, while its enormous, protruding eyes of green add the last touch of terror to its awful aspect.

As it crept toward me it lashed its powerful tail against its yellow sides, and when it saw that it was discovered it emitted the terrifying roar which often freezes its prey into momentary paralysis in the instant that it makes its spring.”

“It was drawing toward the day’s close once more when the keen eyes of the Heliumite discerned the tawny yellow of a sleek hide moving among the boulders several hundred yards to his left.”

Description
One of the first creature designs I did for my Martian Fauna project was the Banth from Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom novels - described as a 10-legged Martian lion. I thought it would be fun to do another pass at it with my current sensibilities in creature design. I won't be going through and redoing all the Martian animals I've done so far, but expect future versions to differ slightly from the ones I already posted.

“The banth is a fierce beast of prey that roams the low hills surrounding the dead seas of ancient Mars. Like nearly all Martian animals it is almost hairless, having only a great bristly mane about its thick neck.

Its long, lithe body is supported by ten powerful legs, its enormous jaws are equipped, like those of the calot, or Martian hound, with several rows of long needle-like fangs; its mouth reaches to a point far back of its tiny ears, while its enormous, protruding eyes of green add the last touch of terror to its awful aspect.

As it crept toward me it lashed its powerful tail against its yellow sides, and when it saw that it was discovered it emitted the terrifying roar which often freezes its prey into momentary paralysis in the instant that it makes its spring.”

“It was drawing toward the day’s close once more when the keen eyes of the Heliumite discerned the tawny yellow of a sleek hide moving among the boulders several hundred yards to his left.”